You Are My Freaking Heart
by i-ateyour-art
Summary: Sasuke: Our past was painful and a lot of mistakes were made, but that was then - this is now. Sakura wants a fight? I'll give her one. She wants to leave me? I'll make her stay. Sakura: Our past wasn't just painful, it was soul-shattering, and no amount of time will change that. Sasuke wants a fight? Bring it. He won't let me leave? I'll make him pay.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! Been a long a time! Haven't updated my other story and here I am again posting a new one -_-. Oh yeah, if you guys are looking for 'The Embrace of You', it's gone, the site deleted it due to its explicit contents X'( thanks to all who read it and followed it and faved it… Ah, this story's based on Lynda Leeanne's This Can't Be Happening series… There'll be a lot of swearing… Here are four chapters for you guys! Hope to enjoy it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter One**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Thirty-One Years Old

_Bitches be fuckin' crazy_.

_All of 'em._

And this one was about to drive me out of my goddamn mind, and I hadn't even seen the little pinkheaded terrorist yet. So, why I let her flip the switch on my nerves with one single phone call…I'd never know.

I sighed as I exited the elevator and stepped onto the second floor, the floor I saw every damn day, because the division I worked in - Homicide - was located here.

My gut was tight. I was pissed as hell and miles beyond stressed. I was also worried, and I wanted to kick my own ass for feeling that way about a woman who wanted nothing to do with me.

When I stalked past the receptionist desk, caught her smirk, the noose around my intestines cinched to unbearable pain.

_Ulcer. I'm gonna have a motherfuckin' ulcer at thirty-one_.

I walked into the main open room, past the numerous brown desks and glared at all the gawking, grinning faces that belonged to the jackasses sitting behind them.

I wasn't a genius, but any moron would know that they knew, and I knew that they knew I had a wife. I also knew, just _knew _it'd been too much to hope that Sakura would keep her yappy trap shut. When I'd called in the favor to my Lieutenant, I hadn't given him any explanations as to why I wanted her out of jail, mainly because I hadn't wanted him to know. I'd also assumed Sakura wouldn't have wanted anyone to know about that tidbit of our history together, but I'd obviously assumed wrong.

Now, I was screwed; especially when the shit talking started. My night was about to get worse.

"Well, well, well! Looky, here. What happened, Romeo? Couldn't keep it in your pants long enough to keep her?"

_Kiba…on my fuckin' list._

"Uh-uh, K. I know what happened, dick was too small. What…couldn't keep it up long enough to finish the job, _sanchito_?"

_Nara…also on my list…before Kiba._

"Nahhh, dick can't be too small when you don't _got _one at all. I bet it was all that natural she was rockin'. Pink hair, weird but I don't care and big boobs…you know our boy here don't _do_ natural."

_Yamanaka…my partner...when I become a murderer, she's at the top of my motherfuckin' list._

See what I mean, all of 'em women, all of 'em bitches and all of 'em crazy.

I glared at Yamanaka specifically, my eyes letting her know that she'd just crossed the line into the danger zone, but do you know what she did?

She laughed.

"Shut the hell up, Yamanaka," I growled, and she threw her head back and laughed harder.

I groaned.

If it were any other time, I'd have let her have it every which way past Sunday, but the drive here had taken long enough and I was too anxious to get to Sakura to waste my time going back and forth with her, or Nara or Kiba...the two, evil, trash talking, blood sucking wenches that would eat you alive with a spoon, lick their lips and smile when they're done.

"I don't know what the hell took you so long, Uchiha, but that little pinkhead is _furious_ and I want her out of this building. She's been cursing you black and blue for the past hour and a half, boy!"

I heard chuckles from the officers nearby and I glared at my Lieutenant of nearly four years, more than ready to rip his head off. I'd known walking in that he was going to give me shit, because that was his life's mission and, right now, it was written clear as day on his pudgy, arrogant face.

Which only pissed me off more.

I didn't usually give the Homicide Division Lieutenant, Kakashi Hatake, better known as Lieutenant, also known as my boss, outside of work known as H.K., a one up on me, but this situation was clearly already out of my control. He gave me shit, I gave it to him better and we both knew how to take the verbal attacks, which were, more often than not, ruthless.

But I was not in the mood for his shit right now. Not only was I not in the mood to put up with his shit, none of this was any of his fuckin' business, and I could see the questions lingering in his eyes as I moved close enough to stand in front of him.

"I don't have time for this, old man. Where is she?" I demanded to know, my tone cutting and much gruffer than I'd intended, but he clearly took no offense. Instead, he grinned. I wanted to wipe that grin clear off his face with my fist. At that moment, I didn't care that I considered the Lieutenant a father figure.

"Boy, where do you think she is?" The Lieutenant responded condescendingly before tilting his head to the side and answering his own question, "In. My. Office. Right where you asked me to keep her until your slow ass could get here."

_Smart ass._

"I told you I was in Centerville for a wedding. I got here as fast as I could," I told him, and he didn't respond right away. Instead, he pursed his lips and glanced away, a sign I knew meant he was thinking hard, preparing to give me my next lecture. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited until his eyes, now serious, came back to me.

He kept his voice low and out of ear shot of the others around when he spoke next. "She's been sweet as pie to me and every other officer she's come in contact with, but she's made it clear that she hates you. I'm surprised she even brought your name up to Officer Iruka with the way she's been talking about you. Anytime your name has been mentioned, she goes she-devil and her horns come out. The hair fits."

I sighed.

"Now, again, you're lucky she only seems to have it out for you, or else Officer Iruka wouldn't have done me a solid and let her out. Of course, it also helped that she's pretty as fuck..." he muttered that last part and my whole body solidified.

"H.K.-" I began to warn, but he talked over me.

"Iruka even said the little thing went willingly and had a smile on her face when he picked her up at Ichiraku's for fighting."

_Ichiraku's? Fighting? And why did he just call her 'little thing' like she was a cute puppy instead of a dragon that spits fire?_

"But, she's had a lot to drink and a lot of time to think."

I groaned audibly, knowing this seemingly one-sided conversation was about to get worse.

"Right now," the Lieutenant shook his head, "that little thing in there is not too happy. She regrets calling you for one, but she's got it in her head that you changed your mind and weren't gonna show, no matter how many times I told her you were gonna be awhile. She thought I was gonna lock her back up."

His voice, if possible, dropped lower. "Now, I don't know what the hell is going on between you and her 'cause you don't usually share personal shit, but I gotta say, when you called me and asked for the favor, I called Iruka to find out what the hell I was getting myself into."

I sighed again and rubbed a hand down my face.

He shook his head and continued. "He said a woman named Karin…" I cringed at the name. "…called nine-one-one saying she'd just been attacked inside Ichiraku's. Iruka and Officer Tadashi took the call, showed up and met with Karin outside the bar. Her clothes were disheveled and she had bruising on her right cheek."

I was sure that bitch deserved it, but I didn't say it out loud.

"Tadashi took Karin's statement. Then, Iruka met with your pinkhead, who didn't have a hair out of place, but she confirmed, 'happily' - Iruka's words - that she'd been in the cat fight with this Karin girl. Iruka took pinkhead's statement. Karin decided to press charges so Iruka had to arrest your pinkhead. That's when pinkhead told him that she was married to one Mr. Sasuke Uchiha with HPD, 'sweetly and with a smile on her face,' - again Iruka's words."

"He said he freaked, because she also had your last name, so he looked her up, and to his surprise, found out she was yours. Now, after he enlightened me with all this info, I thought surely Iruka had been smokin' somethin' on the crazy train, until I looked her record up for myself. Then, when I talked to the little pinkhead in person, and she confirmed, I thought _I'd _been smokin' somethin' and just couldn't remember what or when."

He paused, and then perked up. "Oh, and Iruka added that the pinkhead backtracked the moment he mentioned calling you. She started saying she didn't know you, but he made her call you anyway, which is what Iruka said 'started her pissy mood'. When I went to get her and introduced myself, she was sweet, but pissed when I reassured her that you were on your way. Since she's been in my office, I've heard various versions of how much she hates you and why, and a number of vivid descriptions of all the ways she'd like to do you bodily harm. And as strange as it may be, it sounded pretty damn sexy comin' outta that mouth of hers. Now, what I wanna know is…why the hell didn't you ever tell me you were married?"

Fuck. _Fuck!_

I dropped my arms to my sides, fisted my hands, narrowed my eyes and growled so low, the sound rumbled deep in my throat. This was none of his business; there wasn't enough time in one day, and I damn sure wasn't about to start telling my story at a police station, especially the one I worked out of.

"It was a long time ago and there's no story to tell. So if you don't mind, I have some business to take care of with a five-foot-three terror of a woman." Then I muttered under my breath, "Little thing my ass." I ignored the genuinely confused look on the Lieutenant's face, edged around his uncomfortable stance and headed to his office.

My hand reached for the doorknob, and right before I turned it, I heard the Lieutenant say through a rough chuckle, "That why you won't divorce her, boy? 'Cause it was a _mistake?_"

I froze, my muscles painfully tight, my back unnaturally rigid and I quickly thought about asking him what else my little _wife _had said, but I instantly decided against it.

Blazing, fury-filled, dark green eyes met mine as soon as I entered the office.

"Finally! Will you get me out of these fucking things?" Were the first words that flew out of her pouty mouth. I listened and watched, with deceivingly calm composure, as the handcuffs rasped against the material on the arm of the chair she was handcuffed to. She jerked her wrist a few times to express precisely what she wanted to get out of, but again, I ignored her.

I closed the door purposefully soft and leaned my back against it. I crossed my arms over my chest and disregarded the ache in my gut - or was it my heart - that came from hearing her voice and seeing her face after not having heard or seen either for years.

Well, technically the last conversation - more like shouting match - that I'd had with Sakura was only a few months ago outside her apartment, but it hadn't been a good one, because I'd seen her with Dan - the psychotic ex-boyfriend of my sister-in-law Rina, the ex-boyfriend that beat and nearly raped her over two and a half years ago - at a grocery store and I _might _have gone ballistic.

I also _might _have kissed her after she told me Dan was an acquaintance of her _boyfriend_. A boyfriend that she'd absolutely refused to name, regardless of how hard I'd pushed. So being pissed, I'd quickly decided to slam my mouth down on hers and kiss the shit out of her.

And while kissing her, I'd planned to follow her and find out who the fucker was, so I could have him checked out, but as soon as I'd let Sakura up for air, I'd watched pain flare in her eyes. Pain that I'd seen before and pain that I'd never wanted to see on Sakura's face again.

So, as much as it'd pained me to walk away, I had.

Sakura's eyes narrowed and I narrowed mine right back. Pinkhead wanted a fight? This time, I'd give her one and I sure as shit was gonna make it good.

"Why are you still over there staring at me? Can you unhook me, please?" she asked, exasperated.

My brows lifted.

_Unhook? Jesus._

She sounded like the same Sakura, and resembled the same Sakura I'd thought about often over the years, but there was something about her that was just...

Different.

She was clearly no longer the same girl, albeit a mature one, that I used to obsess over. No, she was now, indisputably, _all woman_. Even though she wasn't necessarily the most beautiful woman I'd ever been with, there'd always been something about Sakura that could bring me to my fuckin' knees, kiss the ground at her feet and like it.

Yes, she had been beautiful on the outside in a natural way. She looked sexy without makeup, when she first woke up in the morning, and because she had a bangin' body, but it was what was on the inside of that tight little body that had mattered to me like no other woman had before.

It was her down to earth, holding her own, thinking she'd been ten feet taller than she was, kick a bitch's ass kind of personality that had won my heart from day one. But it had been that hidden, soft, delicate side of Sakura, only I'd been allowed to see, that had me obsessed with her. She'd made me want things I had never wanted, and I had wanted to give her things that she had never had before.

Her pink hair was still long, but no longer the wavy and wild hair I used to grab in my fist while I took her hard. It was now tamed, perfectly straight and hung over her shoulders, the ends falling over her full breasts.

And the sexy, smoldering, dark green eyes that stared daggers at me right now, still held the same mischief and mystery behind them. They were also outlined with black shit.

It didn't look bad, it actually looked sexy, but it was just...

Different.

Her pouty, pink lips were still full and heart-shaped. Her skin still looked creamy and soft, but the signature and most important features on Sakura's face were now missing.

My gut clinched.

The tiny, scattered freckles that had dusted her nose and the top of her rosy cheeks were no longer visible, which meant she either covered them with makeup or had them removed. The latter of which infuriated me for reasons unknown.

"What the hell happened to your face?" I asked, harsher than I should have. I watched as she frowned at my angry and equally odd question that hadn't come out the way I meant it, as usual.

Her eyebrows creased and she touched her cheek, right under her eye with her free hand.

"What's wrong with my face? Did that bitch scratch me? I don't feel anything," she asked and continued rubbing her fingers over her skin to make sure there were no marks.

"No, I meant your goddamn freckles. Did you have them removed?"

_Could freckles even be removed? Fuck! I should have thought that through._

Her hand moved to her nose, but an instant later it fell to her lap and she scowled. "Can you just unhook me so I can get out of here?" she asked, ignoring my question completely.

"Nope. I think I'll stay right where I am until you tell me what the hell is going on. I left a friend's wedding reception because I got a call from you _in...fuckin'...jail _and I had to pull strings with my Lieutenant, to get your ass out until I could get here. Now I hear that you've gone and ran your mouth, so the whole building will know - if they don't already - that I have a _wife_. So, I think I deserve an explanation and not your attitude. I don't give a shit how drunk you are."

Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish, clearly unable to find a quick comeback. And that was out of the ordinary for the little hellion I used to know. I silently wondered if she'd lost her touch, but that thought was curbed the second her tight, slightly thicker, little body, in painted on, ankle length jeans perked up and her breathing accelerated. I watched, with much pleasure, as her chest rose and fell in rapid movements through the low cut, silky looking flowery top she was wearing. Other than her dirty palms and the knee area of her jeans being scuffed, she didn't look like she'd been in any kind of fight I'd ever seen.

"I was tipsy, not drunk, you asshole, but having these…" she shook her cuffed wrist again, "…slapped on, I sobered up real fast. And I don't know who the hell you think you are. You don't deserve a damn thing from me. If anybody owes anyone around here, it's you owing me!"

I stiffened. "Keep your goddamn voice down. Everyone can hear you out there and I work here," I ordered through my clenched jaw.

She gasped, her body drew back and her expression was that of utter disbelief. "You really think I care? After everything you've done to me," she asked, just as loud as before.

She was un-fucking-believable. If anyone knew how to push my buttons, it was Sakura. I dropped my arms and pointed a finger in my chest.

"Everything I've done to you," I hissed, now raising my voice to meet hers.

"Yes, everything! You wouldn't even be here if you'd have just signed the papers. Jesus, you cheated—"

"I never cheated on you," I returned in a near shout, but she continued like I hadn't said a word.

"Oh, that's right. They were so-called 'extra shifts'. Did you forget what I saw? Did you forget that I saw you cheating with my own eyes? God…you must really think I'm stupid."

"Goddamn it, Sakura. You know that shit's not true," I growled. She drove me fuckin' crazy.

"Oh, really? Funny. I seem to remember it all _vividly!_"

I couldn't let her keep going and I knew I had to get her out of here and fast. She would air out all our dirty laundry if I didn't stop her. I moved.

She turned her face away from me the moment I made it to her, but she didn't stop talking.

"You wouldn't be here right now if you'd just given me the damn divorce. You promised me, _promised, _that you'd sign the papers, but you didn't because you're a jerk and you knew I couldn't afford to do anything about it. Seriously, the list of shit you've done to me is even longer than the number of bitches you've been with."

_Fuck!_

She was so close I could smell the sweet alcohol on her breath, and I knew she was drunk, but she also wasn't wasted. I refused to respond and play into her hands with a response, because that's exactly what she wanted.

No, I wasn't doing this with her here or now...but this wasn't finished. I pulled out my keys and bent at the waist. She took a few deep breaths and I inserted the key, and just as I was about to unlock the cuffs, she turned her head. I turned mine and our faces were inches apart.

When she spoke, her eyes were just as void of all emotion as her voice. "I ran into

Karin. Remember her?"

I closed my eyes. That was the second time tonight her name had been mentioned and I'd cringed every time. Karin was not only a bitch, but one of the worst.

"I know. What happened?" I asked miserably, because anything involving Karin couldn't be good. Sakura didn't respond and she stayed quiet for so long I didn't think she'd answer.

But when she did, she caught me completely off guard. "You've made my life hell since I was eighteen and it hasn't stopped yet."

I waited a minute, but that was all she said.

"Sakura—" I started, but she cut me off.

"I was with Sai, and I'd already had a lot to drink when I saw Karin. She came up to me and we had words - about you and some other stuff. She got in my face, I got in hers, and then she said something that took it too far, so I hit her, once. Security broke us up before it got out of hand. It really wasn't a big deal and I thought she'd left, when she really went outside to call the cops."

"When I was arrested, I made the drunken mistake of telling the cop about you. I wanted to call my boyfriend to come get me, but Officer Asshole wouldn't let me. Not to mention, Soushi is out of town, and honestly, I don't want him to know about any of this, so I guess it was a good thing. I just want to go home and back to my life that thankfully no longer involves you." She took another deep breath before throwing the final blow in a deadly whisper, "I hate you."

And that's when I saw it again.

The pain and the hurt.

I watched the tears swimming in her eyes, the green in them magnified, but she didn't let them escape and her pain was suffocating me. Memories of her crying, and why, hit me full force and all I knew was that I had to get out of the room and as far away from Sakura as fast as possible before I did something stupid.

And this was definitely the wrong time to go down the bumpy road of telling Sakura that the word boyfriend and the name Soushi weren't going to be used in the same sentence much longer. This wasn't the place to have that discussion and it definitely wasn't the time.

I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat, unlocked the handcuffs and she automatically started rubbing her wrist with the opposite hand.

"Thank you," she whispered in relief.

"You're gonna have to show up for the first court date, probably Monday or Tuesday since today is Friday, but I'll let you know. In the meantime, I'll see what I can do about the charges Karin pressed against you."

She shook her head and muttered, "You don't have to do anything for me. I'll get an attorney."

Her pride pissed me off. "Sakura, I said I'll take care of it and I will. But right now, I'm taking you home."

Her body jerked and looked horrified at my offer.

"No, thanks. I'll take a cab or something."

"Sakura, I wasn't asking."

She threw daggers at me with her eyes. "Well, I'm telling you, I don't want you taking me anywhere." With that, she stood up and her shiny, black platform high heels added an extra five inches - at least - to her height which allowed the top of her head to reach my chin.

I made a mental note to ask her about the rather large tattoo on the top of her right foot.

Her outfit was clearly worn to catch the attention of any man, or woman, that caught sight of her. My jaw clenched and I had to bite my tongue to keep from jumping her ass for wearing something so tight and revealing.

She moved to walk around my body, shoved past my shoulder on her way out, but she stumbled. I was surprised and caught off guard, so I wasn't prepared, but I managed to catch her before she fell. Though, she'd already tilted so far forward that I caught her under her breasts and my front pressed into her back when her hips rammed into the desk.

"Shit," she hissed and, immediately after, snorted.

She fuckin' snorted. And then she started laughing hysterically.

"Jesus, are you still drunk?" It was the only explanation for her going bat-shit crazy one minute and then laughing the next.

"No, I'm not drunk...but I might still be a taaaaad bit tipsy." She got her balance, lifted completely, turned in my arms until she faced me and held up her thumb and index finger to indicate the "tad bit".

_Not drunk, my ass_.

This entire situation was deja vu. It was so similar to the first time we met; it was like reliving the past all over again. Except, last time, I was the drunk one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Sakura Uchiha**

Twenty-Six Years Old

_Oops! That was soooo unsmooth._

_Unsmooth?_

_No._

_Is unsmooth even a word?_

_Maybe. Doesn't sound right though._

_No._

_Not smooth?_

_Yeah._

_That was soooo not smooth._

_But un- means not, right?_

_Oh, whatever._

I hadn't wanted Sasuke to know I was still an itsy bit tipsy, therefore knowing that I was in anyway vulnerable, but it was too late now and I hated that he knew.

Actually, I hated everything about Sasuke and everything that he represented in my life.

Mistakes. Failure. More mistakes.

I hated that I'd had to call him. I hated that I really did need his help. I hated seeing him when I never wanted to see him again for the rest of my life.

I didn't even want him invited to my funeral.

Speaking of funerals, I hated that the last few memories I had of Sasuke still haunted me. I hated that my heart still shattered into a million pieces when I thought about the loss of what could have been, but never would be. I hated being around him, and I especially hated how Sasuke knew how to bring out the worst in me.

I hated that, even after six years apart, he still looked just as good and, if possible, bigger and better. I hated that he still looked delicious in a pair of khaki slacks, and I hated that the blue polo shirt he was wearing clung to him in all the right places. It outlined the bulging muscles in his arms and his broad shoulders. I also hated that the blue shirt brought out his stupid coal black eyes.

I hated that even though he looked nothing less than badass macho buff cop, he still had a baby face; easy on the eyes, chiseled, clean-shaven jaw and soft, full lips that I wanted to make bleed with my teeth.

My teeth tingled, preparing to bite him if he came close enough. Not for pleasure, but for pain. I wanted to make him bleed for every ounce of pain he'd ever brought on me.

I hated that he still cut his jet black hair the same.

My hand twitched, ready to slap him across the side of his fat head.

I hated that he still looked at me with his soft eyes like he actually cared, when the reality was, he never gave a shit about me.

I hated that the arm he had wrapped around my waist made me feel safe, when _safe _was the last thing Sasuke was. He was still the ultimate cheating, lying, scum-of-the-earth douchebag and everything that had to do with Sasuke was just plain...fucked up.

I hated that I was always the one that ended up suffering when he was able to move on with his life like I never existed.

But things were different now and I had a new life. A good one. There was no changing the past and I refused to relive it or dwell on it for another second.

I put my hands on his chest and tried to push out of his hold, but his arm around me tightened.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, my momentary laughter having long died out. "I'm sorry I called you. I never should have let that cop guy boss me into calling you. I should have called Soushi."

His nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed, another sign he was pretending to care when all he really cared about was himself.

"Is Soushi your boyfriend? Is he the one you told me about the last time I saw you?" he growled and I rolled my eyes.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, and yes." I pushed on his chest again, but he didn't budge.

"What's his last name?"

I exhaled, feeling tired. "Like I'd really tell you, Sasuke. You have no right to know. The only other boyfriend I had, ended up moving to another state."

"I had nothing to do with that," he stated, so fast I turned to stone. He was lying.

"Funny." I narrowed my eyes on his. "I never said you did."

He shrugged.

_Oh my God! That selfish bastard._

"How could I have been so stupid? I can't believe I ever doubted you," I whispered to myself, shaking my head, putting two and two together.

I felt sick.

"You ran him off, didn't you? I thought I'd been doing the decent thing by telling you since we were still legally married, but…that was the same time I asked you for an easy and fast divorce because I hadn't had the money to fight you..." I trailed off, my words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

"What an idiot I was! I should have known when you agreed to the divorce without putting up a fight that you had something to do with Ein leaving. You just agreed. Ein didn't even break it off with me in person, just left me a _fucking note _on my door that said he thought it'd be better if we went our separate ways and that he was taking a job in Boston. No explanation: nothing!" I shouted the end. Sasuke showed no emotion. Not even a blink!

I took a deep breath and continued. "In the back of my mind, I always wondered if you had anything to do with it, but seeing as how you fucked anything with a vagina, I didn't really believe it. I mean, why would you have wasted your time? I hadn't seen you in over a year...but, I should have known. How did I not know? I thought you were just being your typical asshole self, but I should have put everything together when I still went forward with filing for divorce and you immediately had an attorney sending me requests for everything I had, fighting me for everything I owned, when you knew I had nothing and couldn't afford to fight you!"

Realization was kicking in hard, making my already fuzzy head spin as emotions overpowered me. Tears welled in my eyes.

"God! You're a horrible, horrible person. How...why are you so mean to me?" I cried. "I don't understand...I've never understood. What did I ever do to you to make you hate me so much?"

"You left me," he hissed in my face and let me go, so fast I nearly stumbled again. He backed up an inch, lifted an arm, rubbed a hand over his hair and looked down at his feet. He inhaled, exhaled, shook his head and sighed before looking at me again.

"Sakura, we need to talk about this," he said softly, remorsefully, but his tone only served to piss me off.

"It's too late for talking, Sasuke. The time for talking was six years ago, but I will tell you this: I'm filing for divorce, _again_. I want nothing from you, but more importantly, I never want to see you again. You want to fight the divorce this time, go right ahead, but don't expect me to give up or give in. I'm not the helpless little girl I was, so if you want to fight me on it…_bring it_!"

I still couldn't really afford to fight him, but I would sell everything I owned to finally be rid of him for good.

"You still working at the travel agency?" he asked, and at first I thought he was changing the subject until my mind registered the arrogance in his tone. I knew exactly what he was thinking, and the way he asked his question also confirmed that he already knew the answer. This meant he still kept tabs on me, which burned me up inside.

He assumed that since I was still working for the same company I'd been working for since dropping out of college, and considering travel agents were typically only paid a median salary, that I wouldn't be able to fight him for long, and he was right.

But I was about to wipe the smugness off his face and shove it up his arrogant ass.

"I am, but Soushi - my boyfriend, in case you forgot - wants this marriage done, and he's not fucking around anymore. I'll fight you until I can't fight you anymore, and then he'll step in and help me out if I need him to. He wants me all to himself and he's definitely not someone that you'll be able to scare away. Not this time."

Smugness…vanished.

Energy in the room…explosive.

Expression on Sasuke's face…homicidal.

I never saw the movement coming.

His arm shot out and his hand wrapped my upper arm, gripping me hard and tight, but not painfully. His opposite hand shot up, grabbed my chin and lifted my face to his.

He was too close.

"What are you doing?" I breathed.

"Who the fuck is he?" he demanded to know, his voice so low and dangerous, I had to fight against cowering. I didn't want to answer him, but I knew there was no getting out of this room otherwise. But I still tried.

"Sasuke, it's none—"

His voice thundered when he cut me off. "Tell me who he is right the fuck now, Sakura!"

I flinched, looked anywhere but at his face and rushed, "His name is Soushi...Soushi Makajima." Then I lifted my head and watched. As soon as I saw recognition flash across his face and fury fill his eyes, I swallowed hard. I don't ever remember him looking so angry.

"You're seeing a fuckin' cop?" he asked in outrage. I recoiled.

I kept my mouth shut, until he let go of my chin and turned. He kept hold of my arm, pulled me behind him and I was surprised when he started dragging me toward the door.

"Let go of me!" I screeched while tugging at my arm, but he just kept on stalking toward the door. "Sasuke, wait! My purse!" I decided to try a different tactic, although I had no idea why the thought to grab my purse popped into my head in the current situation. However, my words did work to pull him up short. He turned back, snatched my clutch purse off the desk and started back for the door again, all the while never letting go of my arm.

He threw the door open; it banged against the wall and he pulled me into the open room where, other than ringing phones, there was silence.

All eyes were on us.

"Yamanaka," Sasuke barked out, and a full-figured, very attractive pale blonde woman, wearing a pink button-down shirt and black blazer, stood up and called out without hesitation, "Wha'd up, Sarge?"

_Sarge?_

_As in S - G - T?_

_He was a Sergeant?_

Sasuke kept walking, but he still managed to continue barking orders in clipped sentences at Yamanaka. "You find Makajima. Narcotics. When you do, you tell him to come find me and you tell him to come alone."

"Sasuke, stop it," I hissed.

I was embarrassed and I tugged once more at my arm, but again, he ignored me and kept pulling me along.

We passed by the wide-eyed older man, whom I recognized as the officer who had gotten me out of jail, and I snapped, "Are you just going to stand there and let him manhandle me? Isn't this illegal?" He opened his mouth, but he didn't get a chance to respond, because Sasuke never stopped. My eyes looked at the older man for help, but Sasuke just kept dragging me behind him, until we made it to the elevator.

"I'm going to file a police report on you. How do you think that'll look in front of a judge when I divorce your ass? And Soushi is never coming to see you," I hissed at Sasuke while we waited for the elevator, but a second after I finished, the elevator dinged.

"Be quiet and get in," he growled with fury on his face as he pulled me inside.

"Fuck you," I spat at his side and he ignored me, _again_, to push the lobby button. He waited until the doors closed to shake his head and grumble, "Soushi Makajima." He made the name sound dirty.

"He's not coming to see you. I won't let him," I stated haughtily and Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Oh no?" he asked like he knew something I didn't, before continuing through a nasty grin, "Trust me, freckles, he'll come. If he wants what belongs to me, then he'll come...fucking...see me."

I felt all the blood drained from my face and I blinked rapidly. "What did you just say?" I breathed.

"You heard me," he snapped, just as the elevator doors opened. Then he got out, pulling me behind him once again and I was speechless.

_What the hell?_

"Sasuke, stop this. Please. I don't belong to you and never have. And we're not in the jungle. You can't just go around telling women they _belong to you_. I never have and will never again let you mess around in my life when it's convenient for you, only to leave me by myself to clean up the aftermath. You're just mad right now, but you'll get over it."

I stopped when Sasuke walked us up to a jacked up, white, Chevy Silverado and I heard the locks pop. He let my arm go, opened the passenger door, practically picked me up, threw me inside and buckled me in, before I could protest.

He didn't move away and he leaned in further. "You belong to me, Sakura. The marriage certificate I have locked away in my safe says you do," he said in a voice so soft it was scary.

"Sasuke, I don't, and I never have," I responded just as softly.

He leaned back and barked, "You fucking do!"

I jumped when he slammed the door.

My nerves were shot, and I was so edgy I felt sick to my stomach. I didn't speak to Sasuke or look at him the whole time he drove, for fear he'd go psychotic and pull some kind of Romeo and Juliet stunt by running the truck off the road and killing us both so we could live happily ever after together in our next lives.

And then a phone rang and I figured it was one of Sasuke's bitches. Don't ask me why that was the first thought in my mind.

Then it rang for a third time and I glanced at Sasuke; he glanced at me.

_Oh, that's my ring tone. Duh!_

I reached for my phone, praying it wasn't Soushi, because if it was, how in the hell would I explain why I was with Sasuke?

I pulled my cell from my purse and luckily, it was Sai. Sasuke glared at me when I answered and I glared right back.

"Hey," I answered, but immediately pulled the phone away from my ear.

"Sakura, are you okay? I can't believe those cops _arrested you_! I went to see about bailing you out, but they told me you weren't in their system. Where the hell are you?" Sai - my best friend since childhood - shouted in my ear and I squeezed my eyes shut. World War III was about to happen in three…two…one…

"Uhhh…somebody got me out of jail," I told him without actually telling him, and I prayed he wouldn't ask who.

"Who got you? Soushi?"

_Fuck!_

I cringed again.

"No, Sasuke," I answered through a sigh. I heard his audible gasp that echoed in my ear. "Please don't tell me you're with him."

I closed my eyes and didn't answer.

"Sakura, sweetheart, please tell me you're not with him," he begged softly and I twisted my neck to look out the window like that would keep Sasuke from listening in on my conversation, but I could feel his eyes on me.

"I'm with him," I whispered again, loud enough for Sai to hear.

"Damn it," Sai growled before shouting, "Don't listen to him, Sakura! Tell him to bring you to my house. He's a lying piece of shit and we both know it!" I'd had to pull the phone away from my ear again. He didn't have to tell me any of that, but why he was so angry all of a sudden was a little uncalled for. However, I didn't have a chance to tell him that because my phone was suddenly snatched out of my hand.

"She's mine for the night, so don't even think about looking for her. If I even catch a glimpse of your face, I'll put you in the fuckin' hospital. Goodbye, Sai," Sasuke growled into the phone just before he pulled it from his face and pressed "end" on the screen.

I gasped.

"I can't believe you just did that!" I shouted at him and he glared at me quickly, before returning his angry eyes back to the road.

"Believe it," he returned.

"Take me to Sai's house, Sasuke," I demanded, but all he did was shake his head. "You're such an asshole," I hissed, and when he shrugged like he already knew that, I turned away from him in a huff to stare out the window.

It wasn't until we passed the exit to my apartment that I asked, "Where are you going?"

He knew where I lived. It was only a few months back that he'd given me a ride home…another memory I didn't want to have, but my place in Webster was only fifteen minutes from his house in Clear Lake.

I stiffened when I realized what was happening.

"Sasuke, take me home. Do not take me to your house," I demanded.

"Sakura, I'm not taking you home," he decided, and I could feel the panic flowing through my veins. I knew he wouldn't change his mind either, because that's exactly how much of an asshole he was. He wanted to throw the past in my face. I felt sick.

"Freckles, if you're gonna throw up, tell me so I can pull over."

My eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't call me freckles. And I'm not that drunk. I haven't thrown up in a car since I was a kid."

Although, fifteen minutes later, when we pulled up outside his house, my stomach had other plans. I stared in disgust at the big, white, two-story, Victorian-style house that, eons ago, also used to be mine. Haunted memories crashed into my head, and along with the alcohol in my system, I felt nauseated.

"I don't want to be here. I can't be here," I breathed loud enough that I knew he heard.

I looked down at my lap and closed my eyes. I couldn't bear to see that house again. I just couldn't. There were too many memories in that house and most of them were bad. My heart dropped to my stomach, especially when Sasuke ignored me and I heard his door open.

A few seconds later, I heard my door open. I opened my eyes, but I kept my gaze on my lap and refused to look at him.

"I can't be here…please." I begged in a small whisper, and I could feel his eyes on the side of my face.

"Sakura–" he said in a quiet, pain-filled voice, but I didn't want to hear anything he had to say. He just didn't understand.

"No. I can't be here, Sasuke." My voice grew stronger.

"Sakura, I get it, but if I have to live in this house every day, then I think you can handle being inside it for an hour, so we can sit down and talk like adults. Get out of the truck before I drag you out."

I looked at him then. Really looked at him. The most beautiful man I'd ever seen.

Not perfect, he had flaws, but that only made him more beautiful. He had a full head of hair but he had a widow's peak. And that would probably look stupid on any other man, but on Sasuke, it was sexy and totally added to his buff cop persona.

He was the man that little ole frecklefaced, frizzy haired, pinkheaded me, somehow managed to snag at eighteen years old.

He looked upset and I knew he still remembered, still felt pain. How could he not? But the pain was different for him. It had to be. The pain would never be the same for him as it was for me.

He'd never wanted the baby anyway.

"Of course you can live in this house every day, Sasuke. Because while I was in it, you weren't. While I was pregnant, depressed, lonely and needing you, you were with another woman. While I was in the hospital miscarrying _my baby_, you were with another fucking woman. So, if you don't mind, I'd like for you to get back in the truck and take me home."

He flinched like I slapped him, and his eyes closed as though in physical pain. I felt bad for throwing the words in his face, but they were the truth and I didn't care. I didn't care about anything, especially Sasuke's feelings.

He'd never cared about mine.

As his eyes remained closed, I assumed he saw my point and would take me home like I'd asked, but when his eyes opened they were filled with the last thing I wanted to see.

Determination.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Thirty-One years old

"_Our baby_," I corrected her, seething with concealed pain and anger. Sakura narrowed her eyes on my face, but said nothing. She had to know I'd lose it if she tried to argue with me.

It was both of us that miscarried, not just her. She wasn't the only one who lost the baby; I'd just been too stupid to grieve about it the way I should have. And when it had finally hit me...when all of my mistakes had slapped me in the face at once and I'd set out to fix them, it'd been too late.

What I'd done had been a mistake.

One huge fuckin' mistake that destroyed my life and it wasn't even the mistake Sakura thought I'd made. I'd made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life, especially when it came to Sakura, but never…_never _would I have fucked up that bad.

From the day I met her, I never even considered another woman. I'd told Sakura what happened and I'd explained where I was and why, even if it meant I'd have lost my job, but she'd refused to believe me or even listen. I hadn't blamed her. I couldn't. I'd fucked up way before we miscarried, but I'd royally fucked up after.

And I'd lost her.

She might still be lost to me, but this time, with her right in front of me, looking at her and remembering how much I'd loved her and needed her, I made a decision. I wasn't going to let her go until she understood. And it was going to be hard to make her listen, but if she left me no choice, I'd hog tie her little ass on my living room floor, duct tape her mouth shut, and force her to hear what I had to say until she understood.

No, not only understood, but more importantly, forgave me.

"This is exactly the kind of shit we gotta talk about, Sakura, and we're talking inside the house."

"No, this is exactly the reason I need to pretend you don't exist. I suggest you do the same," she snapped, but enough was enough.

I reached across her lap, unbuckled her seatbelt, unwound it, grasped her hips, bent at the knees, put my elbow in her stomach and hefted her out of the truck against her protests and struggles.

"Sasuke, put me down!" She pawed on my back like a feisty kitten.

I climbed the steps to the porch, kept one arm around the back of her thighs, wrestled the keys from my pocket and unlocked the front door. I strode through the foyer and into the living room where I placed her on her feet, but I kept a hand on her waist so she wouldn't run.

Though, I didn't have to. She was frozen.

She glanced around the room, before looking up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Why?" she asked in a strained whisper and I didn't respond, because honestly, I didn't know how to answer her. And really, what the hell was I gonna say?

That every time I'd tried to get rid of the furniture and the memories, I broke down like a female and cried? That I'd cried like a fuckin' female, remembering how Sakura and my mom, the women who meant _everything_ to me, picked out the furniture and the decorations together? That I'd shed tear after tear remembering how I couldn't have cared less when they'd both tried, excitedly, to show me what they'd bought?

That I'd cried remembering how I'd tried to get Sakura to take the stuff with her when she left me, because I knew she had nothing, but she refused? That looking at this furniture every day helped me realize what a fuck up I was?

In the past, I'd have never admitted to anything so embarrassing, but now, I was man enough to realize the difference between embarrassing and _real_. How I'd felt and how hurt I'd been...had been real.

But I wasn't about to come out and admit to anything just yet.

When I still didn't answer after a few moments, Sakura's voice grew louder and deepened when she asked again, "Why?"

"I just…" I shook my head. "…I couldn't get rid of it," I answered truthfully without giving too much away, but I could see in her face that she wasn't satisfied.

"You couldn't get rid of it," she repeated low, her tone eerie. She looked lost as she glanced around the room once more, just before her sight landed, and stopped, on the mantel over the fireplace.

"You couldn't get rid of it," she repeated again in a tortured whisper. She moved to back away and I let her waist go. She walked over to the mantel and headed straight for the framed picture of my mom.

I stiffened.

Her back was to me now, but she just stood there, gazing at the picture in wonder.

"I loved your mom. She was my mom too. I was broken after she passed," she admitted softly and picked up the picture in her hands to study it closer, caressing it with her fingers, but her words pissed me right the fuck off.

My fists clenched.

"Yeah. You loved her all right. You loved her so much that you didn't even come to her funeral to pay your respects. The woman loved you like a daughter and you didn't even bother to show up," I said, scorning her with my words before thinking, which was exactly why I wasn't fast enough to move.

Sakura spun around, picture frame in hand and she let it fly out of her hand, so fast I never saw it coming. It sailed an inch past my face and crashed into the wall behind me by the time I realized what she'd done.

"What the—"

"Fuck you!" she screamed as she cried uncontrollably. She turned around, lifted her arm, put her hand on the corner of the mantel and swiped it across, clearing it of everything that rested on top. Items crashed to the wood floor and glass shattered.

Her reaction honestly freaked me the fuck out.

"Shit!" I charged for her, but she ran around the living room and stopped behind the couch before I could catch her. The little terrorist was fast, I'd give her that. We'd practically switched positions in the room.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I roared.

"I _WAS _THERE! I WAS THERE AND I SAW YOU WITH HER!" she screamed through her sobs, and tears rained down her cheeks.

_What?_

"What the hell are you talking about, Sakura? Saw me with who?"

She grabbed hold of the couch with one hand, bent, and I saw movement. Next thing I knew, a shoe was flying out of her hand and headed straight for my head. I ducked out of the way, before it hit me and shouted, "Sakura, stop!"

"With _her_! You took the same stripper _bitch _you were with the night I miscarried to your _mother's funeral_! I saw her with my own eyes! Sai saw her too, so there's no way you can deny it!"

_Sai, that prick...number one on my motherfuckin' list_!

She moved to the other foot, removed that shoe and threw it at me too, but this time I didn't move and it hit me square in the chest. Everything was slowly coming together. Bits and pieces of the puzzle from the past that never made sense before, were suddenly fitting perfectly into place.

When I finished letting the truth sink in, I stalked toward her, but she turned and ran again, now easier and faster without her heels on. She moved in the direction of the kitchen and I took off after her, but by the time I caught up, she'd already grabbed the knife out of the block and turned.

I skidded to a halt and froze.

"Are you in-fucking-_sane_? Put the knife down, Sakura," I ordered, threateningly, as I stood still in the middle of the kitchen wondering if she'd lost her goddamn mind, especially when she tilted her head to the side and studied me like she'd never seen me before in her life. Her probing eyes chilled me down to the bone.

_She's fuckin' crazy!_

"What are you gonna do, cop boy?" she asked sweetly, just before taunting, "_Arrest_ _me?"_

My temper, already at its boiling point, was about to spill over and ignite.

"Sakura, I get that you're still drunk or tipsy or whatever the fuck, but I'm warning you. This shit is not funny, and it's not cute, so cut it out!" I barked.

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, pipe down with the Robocop speak. I'm not going to touch you with it. You're not worth it." She paused, looked around my body, licked lips, nodded as if silently confirming something to herself, and then she faced me again. "But I am going to fuck some shit up."

Then, the lunatic walked toward me, ever so slowly, and I didn't know what to do.

"After I got pregnant," she started, her voice eerily low, as she entered the living room. "You were so miserable and so confused and so...depressed? Yeah, I think you were depressed. But at times, you acted so loving, protective, and desperate for me that I thought whatever was making you miserable, was something we could get past. I tried and I tried to make you love me—"

"I loved you," I barked in fury and she stopped and stood directly in front of the brown leather sofa.

"No, Sasuke, you cared about me and felt sorry for me, but you didn't love me...or maybe you did love me in your own way, but not the way a husband is supposed to love his wife."

She looked down. "You know. I loved this couch."

She sank the knife into the cushions and slashed, all the way across, and then again on the back, carving out an X.

"Sakura—" I shouted and moved in to stop her, but she stood, held up the knife and continued talking over me at the same time.

"I should have known, should have seen it coming, but I never thought you were so unhappy that you'd fuck around on me. Maybe I just didn't want to face it, I don't know. When I saw the lipstick on your clothes, I still didn't want to believe it, but when I saw you kissing her, a girl with an amazing body and platinum-blonde hair…you broke me."

Amane; A.K.A the mistake.

Where did I even begin to explain Amane to Sakura?

She was a case that I never should have been given and one that I definitely never should have taken. I'd been young and stupid, and when Sakura got pregnant, I'd been in a bad place. But I'd taken all my worries and insecurities out on the one person who meant everything to me, and then I screwed it all up. Every mistake I'd made had turned into a domino effect. The pieces had tumbled and tumbled until there were no more pieces left, and Sakura was gone.

"I told you the blonde was a case, Sakura. I was working a case," I told her miserably.

"Cops take their cases to their mother's funeral." Her brow rose to her forehead.

I shook my head, rubbed a hand over my head and down my face. How had I not put it together? And where did I even begin to explain? I knew how it looked, but it wasn't what she thought, and getting her to listen was near impossible. I watched as she turned her back on me and walked to the love seat, probably to shred it too, but I couldn't just stand back and watch her take out her anger this way. Not when her pain was all my fault. I'd blamed her for leaving me, but I knew all along that it was because I'd pushed her too far.

I moved fast, before she saw me, and I slammed my chest into her back and wrapped my arms around her body. She immediately dropped the knife and I held her arms down at her sides.

"Stop this, Sakura," I whispered in her ear.

She held still, but I felt her body shaking as she cried silently. It killed me inside.

"Please calm down, Baby," I whispered, but at my words, she shook her head, pushed out of my hold and I dropped my arms. I wanted to keep holding her, touching her, but in her state, I didn't know which was safer - keeping her close or keeping her at a distance.

She faced me, with tears still sliding down her cheeks.

"You know, when you told me the blonde was a case, I wanted so desperately to believe you," she whispered. "Even though I saw you with her myself, I still decided I was going to come back to you. I had every intention of coming back to you, but I'd needed time," she paused and took a deep breath. "I loved you that much and that's how stupid I was. This is going to sound horrible, but I thought that your mom passing away only months after the miscarriage was a sign. A sign that I needed to get over my heartbreak and come back to you, because I _stupidly_ thought you might need me..." Her voice cracked and her eyes closed, "... but you were with her at the funeral. How could you do that to me?"

"I wasn't with her, Sakura. She showed up on her own. It's nothing like you're thinking. It's a long story, but I messed up. Every single day I live with that regret and you can't imagine how that feels. We have to talk about this because it kills me, and I know you're still hurt and angry right now, but you have to calm down so I can explain everything that happened so you'll understand," I finished firmly.

"That's the thing, Sasuke, I don't want to understand. I've never wanted to understand. I've been strong my whole life, because I had to be...always...until I met you. You were my weakness and I knew you would be from the moment I met you. I tried to stay away, but you pushed and shoved your way into my life, refusing to let me go, promising never to hurt me...and then you did. It wasn't just the cheating or the lying; it was you not being there for me when I needed you most. I was scared and lonely, and I had nobody. I needed you," her voice shook and her bottom lip trembled.

I closed my eyes and held my breath at her words.

"I loved you, and you know how much. Sometimes, I think I still do. Sometimes, I miss the boy I met when I was eighteen years old; the boy who never would have let me go; the boy who never would have hurt me. But that boy then turned into a man who _broke_ me, who _ruined _me, who _killed _the young, fun girl that used to be me."

Silence. I couldn't find my voice.

And when I did, it was deep, low and filled with misery.

"I knew I was your weakness, Sakura, and I was hungry for it. But I never abused that knowledge. I underestimated it, but I never abused it."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me?" she breathed.

"You were strong and handled everything on your own when I met you, but I wore you down. I know I did, but I needed to back then, because _I _needed to feel needed. But in doing that, I also wanted to give you everything. The only reason you're not still living in this house, filling it with my babies and wearing my ring on your finger is because _you _decided _you _couldn't forgive me for something I. Didn't. Even. Do. I never cheated on you. I didn't tell you things that I should have, but I never lied to you. As much as you'd like to think the worst of me, I promise you, Baby, my intention was never to hurt you or push you away. I was working through things—"

"Just shut up, Sasuke. You keep saying you didn't cheat, but I saw it with my own eyes, and you know what? It doesn't even matter anymore. We've both gone our separate ways and it's for the best. We were never good together anyway. I couldn't make you happy."

_She couldn't make me happy?_

"You're the only person who knew how to make me happy and you never even had to try. You were my _fucking _world, Sakura, if you'd just get that through your pink hair and thickass skull, you'd see that! If I could go back and change the past, I would."

I would have loved her properly and done right by her. I would have made sure my only fuck-up was something like forgetting to pick up toilet paper when I got off work. I would go back and realize that Sakura never wanted anything from me, but me and the love I could give her… should have given her.

"Well, it's too late now, isn't it?"

I had to touch her again. I couldn't resist. She was here, standing in front of me and I had to feel her against me one last time, especially if it might be the last. I moved and her little body stiffened, but she didn't run. As soon as I was in reaching distance, I pulled her into my arms and held on like my life depended on it.

She hesitated only a second, before wrapping her arms around my back and I buried my face in her hair, against her neck and breathed her in.

_Coconut._

I could feel her body trembling, and I heard her soft cries as her tears soaked through my shirt; wetting the skin beneath the fabric.

I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back my own tears.

"How? How did things get so ugly between us?" she whispered. I hugged her tighter.

I wanted to ease her pain so badly that I picked her up.

I wasn't wasting any more time going back and forth giving partial stories. She needed to know the truth and she needed to know it all.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Sakura Uchiha**

"What are you doing?" I screeched when Sasuke picked me up.

I automatically wrapped my legs around his waist to hang on, because it was uncomfortable letting my legs dangle in front of his.

"You're gonna fuckin' listen to me," he stated, his tone unwavering.

He strode up the stairs, down the hall, and into the bedroom; his bedroom; the bedroom we'd once shared. A light switched on and he dropped me, ass down on the edge of the mattress and he followed by dropping to his knees on the floor in front of me. He kept his hands locked tight around my hips and he pulled back to stare into my eyes.

"This is inappropriate. I shouldn't be in here," I whispered.

He ignored me to lift his hands and wipe away the wetness, and makeup from my under my eyes, my cheeks and my nose. When he was finished, his hands fell back to my hips and he breathed out a sigh of relief.

I was so distracted by his tenderness that I didn't understand why he muttered, "Thank God they're still there."

"What?" I asked in a small voice.

He shook his head, glanced down at my lap and then back up. His black eyes sparkled. "Your freckles," he finally answered and I inhaled a sharp breath.

My entire body sighed. He sounded like the idea of me not having my freckles anymore would be devastating. I opened my mouth to respond, but he spoke before me.

"Do you remember the story I told you about my dad?" he asked softly and his words had me curious. I nodded, wondering where he was going with this and what his dad had to do with why we were currently in his room.

His dad had had two families. Married to another woman and always promising Sasuke's mom that he was leaving his wife for her. When Ms. Uchiha had decided she'd had enough and that she no longer wanted anything to do with Sasuke's dad, he raped her; a horrendous circumstance which resulted in Ms. Uchiha conceiving Sasuke. She'd threatened to press charges in an attempt to keep his father away, but Sasuke's dad came in and out of their lives whenever he felt like it.

Ms. Uchiha, God rest her soul, had been scared of him.

But visits from Sasuke's dad slowed down when his wife got pregnant; around the time Sasuke was five. Then he would pop in three or four times a year, try to apologize, get pissed, slap Sasuke and his mom around and leave. It wasn't until Sasuke was around fourteen that the visits stopped all together, and at nineteen, Sasuke was informed that his dad had died.

"He left me money," Sasuke said and my brows met in confusion because I already knew that.

"I know," I replied, but he shook his head.

"No, Sakura, he left me _money_. A lot of it. Not enough to make me rich, but it was plenty enough to secure my future and the future of my family. He left the same amount to both me and Ren. I never told you because I knew you couldn't care less about money, but I also didn't tell you, because I'd sworn I would never touch a penny of it. I swore I'd never use his money for the hell he put my mom through. I never wanted to feel that I needed that asshole for anything, especially after he died."

I thought about that for a second before responding, "Okay. That's understandable...who's Ren?"

Sasuke groaned, "My brother…my half-brother."

I thought on that for another minute, and my eyes widened when it finally sank in that Sasuke had made contact with his younger brother. Sasuke had told me about him, but he'd never tried to contact him. I nodded, a little pleased and now even more curious. I wanted to ask questions, but I knew I had no right.

"Sakura, what you said earlier was true. When I got you pregnant..." I tensed. Sasuke's hands moved off my hips to wrap completely around my waist to keep me in place.

"Please, let me finish. I was miserable and I was confused, but it wasn't because I didn't want our baby. Not even close. I was terrified. We were young. You were only nineteen and still going to school; I was immature and I'd only been on the police force for a year. I was working all the time to support us and help pay for your school, because again, I refused to touch my father's money and I wanted to give you everything you never had. Then you got pregnant—"

"Don't you dare blame me," I hissed. "Do not put any of this shit on me. I _never_ asked you for anything!"

"Jesus, I'm not blaming you. Will you just listen for one goddamn second?"

"Why, Sasuke? It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Just let me go."

"Let you go," he whispered, before lifting and roaring in my face, "_What if I don't_ _want to let you go_? What if I tell you that now that I have you here, I'm not _letting you_ _go again_?"

I flinched and swallowed hard past the tears and fear that clogged my throat. "What do you want from me?" I whispered, desperate for an answer.

"I just want _you. _All I've ever wanted was you. I want my wife back."

"Now? Why now…after all this time?" I shook my head. "Never mind, don't answer that."

I knew anything he'd say would be a lie. He would have come for me if he'd wanted me back. He wouldn't have waited all this time.

I knew that as soon as I'd left him, he had other women in his bed - in this very bed. I knew that he knew how to sweet talk and say all the right things to get what he wanted, whenever he wanted.

Maybe that was what this was all about. This whole line of bullshit he was spewing. I was the one who got away and left on my terms, not his. _Was _that what this was about? Dominance? Control? Who had the upper hand?

A game?

If I relinquished the power and let him have it, let him think he had the control, would he go away and finally let me go? I always fought him before, but maybe that was the problem. I wasn't sure of anything, but I knew I had to do something and I'd already tried everything else.

In all seriousness, I was on the brink of losing all sense of sanity when it came to Sasuke. I always had been.

Would I lose everything?

Probably.

Soushi, would I lose him? Did I care?

I did care, but not enough. Three months of being together wasn't long enough for me to love him.

Would Soushi understand though? Was I willing to risk losing him?

I wasn't sure, but I had to do something and Sasuke was, after all, still my fucking husband.

Could I not like it? Could I resist liking it?

Probably not, but I'd sure as shit try.

Could I live with myself afterward if I did lose everything…again?

Absolutely, I'd move on, like I always had - alone if I had to - but happily, as long as I was rid of Sasuke.

Was enough alcohol still coursing through my system to get me through this?

_Yes. Yes, there was_.

This was going to be logical, mechanical and compulsory sex that, in the end, would make me just as bad as Sasuke if not worse, but that was okay, because I sort of wanted it one last time.

"I want you back. You have no idea how much," he whispered, deep and hoarse, his words pierced my heart, and in that moment, I sold my soul to the devil.

I lifted my arms, reached around my neck and pulled my hair over one shoulder, quickly unzipping the back of my top. Sasuke leaned back, his curious eyes watching me intently, and I grabbed the hem of my top and lifted it over my head.

I threw it on the floor.

Sasuke's arms fell away from my hips. He closed his eyes and - swear to God - he held his breath.

"What's the matter, Sasuke? Isn't this what you want?" I reached around my back, unhooked the clasp of my bra and let it slide off my arms. When his eyes opened, they landed directly on my face and never glanced down.

"I won't touch you," he said in a rough voice; his eyes wounded, his expression confused, and I smiled knowingly.

"Yes. You will," I whispered with confidence, hating myself, because deep down inside, I knew he wanted this too…it was why he had brought me to his bed, consciously or subconsciously.

I reached out, touched both sides of his face and cupped his jaw in the palm of my hands. My thumbs caressed him softly as we stared into each other's eyes...searching...past all the pain, past all the hurt, past all the torment, all the way down to the souls that, at one time, I thought had been one and the same.

He lifted his arms and wrapped his hands around my wrists, gripping them hard and his breathing accelerated. His eyes remained trained on mine.

"I don't want this, Sakura, and you don't want this either. This isn't what I was talking about when I said I wanted you back," he said, but the truth was in the hitch in his voice.

I lowered my head until our faces were inches apart, breathing the same breath and I drank him in. My eyes lowered to his lips and I didn't hesitate reintroducing them to mine. I kissed him, a soft closed mouth kiss, but deep nonetheless. I pulled back slightly and caught the stunned expression on his face, before I kissed him again. I kissed the corner of his mouth, the right side, then the left, then the center, and Sasuke did nothing but remain statue still.

I wasn't worried though. He was fighting it. I could feel the muscles in his jaw working beneath my palms as the hands wrapped around my wrists constricted. I gave my arms a little tug and his hands fell away. They dropped to his side and he fisted his hands.

I dropped to my knees in front of him and spread my legs wide around his. He sat back and I pressed closer, straddling him.

_Better._

"The alcohol isn't helping you make the best decisions right now, but I know damn good and well you're not drunk, Sakura. You won't be able to use that as an excuse in the morning," I heard Sasuke say, just as I lifted to kiss his neck, nip him, right under his jaw.

He groaned.

"I'm telling you I won't stop," he hissed as I kissed my way down his neck to the collar of his shirt. "You do this, you let this happen…it's not on me. I won't regret it and I'll make damn sure you don't either. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Of course I understood, that was the whole idea, that this situation would be on me, that he'd get whatever it was he needed to out of his system and get rid of me for good, kick me out of his house, finally let me go, tell me to go fuck myself...I didn't care.

I bit him. Hard, but not enough to break the skin. My teeth sank into the flesh covering his collarbone and then I quickly released him to run my tongue over the mark. Sasuke's body jerked and he sucked in a sharp breath.

I kissed him there again, letting my lips linger.

His body straightened, pushing me back slightly and our eyes locked. His arms wrapped around my waist, his forearms brushed the skin at my sides as his hands landed on my lower back. He pulled me to him, so close my breasts were crushed to his chest. His hands traveled their way upward at an insanely slow pace, tracing my spine with the tips until they reached my neck. I shivered and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from moaning.

Then catching me off guard, his hands dove into my hair and fisted. He tugged hard, forcing my head back until I was looking up at him, nose to nose, sharing the same breath.

"I warned you...this game, whatever the fuck it is...just backfired," he growled and it was the only warning I got, before his lips crashed down on mine, taking my mouth with a hunger so fierce I worried nothing of me would be left over.

I whimpered, wanting even more. My tongue met his head on, devouring his mouth in return. I was so into this kiss that I completely forgot he was supposed to be in control. That he was supposed to control me.

Or was he already?

I didn't get my answer, because all of a sudden, I lost his mouth. I opened my eyes, forgetting that I'd closed them at all. His eyes remained closed and he dropped his forehead to mine. He loosened the hold his hand had on my hair as we both panted.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you…how much I've missed us," he whispered against my lips and then he kissed me again, feather light, before bringing a hand around my face to trace my lips with his fingertips. "How much I've missed this," he finished, caressing me.

I would never admit how much I've missed him too, but I knew better.

They were sweet words, so sweet they brought tears to my eyes, but I kept them in check. I didn't want sweet Sasuke. I hated sweet Sasuke.

"You're not going back to him after this. I won't allow it," he growled.

**Sasuke Uchiha**

"What?" she asked in a small voice, confusion lacing her tone.

She was playing a game, but it was one she was going to lose. I could see the need in her eyes and the tears she refused to let fall.

I wanted nothing more than to take her pain away and I was going to, because she was the only person who could take mine away too. Whatever she was after, whatever she was trying to accomplish with this game, didn't matter. When I was finished with her, I was never letting her go, and whatever problems, whatever issues we'd had in the past, were going to be fixed after this…or we would work on fixing them…

First thing in the morning.

Right now, I was going to own her.

It wasn't fair that she already owned me.

I knew that sex with Sakura shouldn't be happening this way and I knew it was wrong, but it was the only other way I knew. I'd tried other ways before, but always ended up making things worse, and in the end, I had to let her go.

Sort of.

I'd kept tabs on her over the years, and up until a few months ago, I'd kept really close tabs, but when I'd kissed her outside of her apartment the last time I saw her – and saw the pain that kiss had caused - I'd decided to give her a break.

Which turned out to be a mistake.

_Soushi. I'm gonna fuckin' kill him._

That piece of shit was trouble and I knew it from the first time I ever met him. He just had that look…that slimy expression and those weasely eyes. Not one person in the department liked him.

He wasn't getting near Sakura again. I'd make sure of it.

"Soushi. He no longer exists for you," I told Sakura and knew she understood exactly what I meant by that when I watched her squeeze her eyes shut. Several seconds passed before they opened, but when they did, she remained silent, her eyes impassive.

Which worked to her advantage because, I wasn't paying close enough attention and, a second later, she slapped me so hard across my face my head whipped to the side.

Stinging radiated throughout the side of my face.

"Fuck," I hissed.

I glared, and she at least had the grace enough to look horrified. We remained at a standstill, both of us breathing hard, both of us angry…and then she launched herself at me, taking us both to the floor and I landed on my back with a grunt.

We both fought for the upper hand.

She fought with my shirt and pulled it from my pants as I fumbled with the button of her jeans. She slapped my hands away, lifted my shirt to my chin, bent and devoured my mouth with hers, as her hands worked between us to unzip my pants.

As soon as I was free, she ran her small, warm hand over the tip, circling and rubbing.

I hissed when she stopped a moment later.

She rose to her knees and my dick twitched in anticipation, but she didn't take me in her mouth like I'd hoped. She backed away and stood, completely naked from the waist up.

Her full breasts, the pretty, small pink tips were calling out to me and my mouth watered. My eyes traveled down to her small waist and generous hips, but I didn't have much time to appreciate it all, because she bent and removed her jeans too fast. And then, she dropped back down to her knees and climbed over me, covering my body and attacking my mouth with hers before I realized what was happening.

She started rubbing herself against me, coating me with her wetness, driving me crazy with her mouth.

"Sakura, slow down," I mumbled against her lips and gripped her hips, but she reached between us to grab me, to rush me, to use me and piss me off. I felt myself at her entrance only a second before she took me inside her body.

"Goddamn it, Sakura," I groaned, and she took my mouth harder.

She worked herself on me, up and down, four or five times and it felt so fuckin' good I thought about letting her finish me off, but in the back of my mind I knew this was all wrong and I'd had enough.

She let out a squeal when I rolled, flipped her to her back and pulled out.

She frowned up at me, but I ignored the pretty pout on her face, kicked off my shoes, ripped my shirt over my head, stood and took off my pants. I did all this while staring down at her, and when I finished, I walked two paces to my dresser and grabbed what I needed. I came back, bent down, put one arm under her knees, one behind her back, and picked her up.

She let out a "yelp" when I swung her around and tossed her on the bed. I followed behind her quickly, covered her body with mine, grabbed both her wrists, lifted them above her head and… SNAP! cuffed them to the headboard.

"What the—" she asked frantically as she tugged at her wrists.

"We're playing this my way," I growled and then kissed her lips quickly.

I lifted, lowered myself down her body and I filled my hands with her full, heavy breasts. I took them in my mouth and caressed them until her body was putty in my hands. I took the right tip in my mouth, licking and sucking until she withered beneath me.

Then, I moved to the left.

"Sasuke," she breathed like a plea.

I moved lower, kissing, licking and nipping my way down her stomach, her sides, her hips, until I came to the apex between her thighs.

I spread her wide, wrapped my arms around her thighs, gripped her hips and I kissed the inside of her thigh.

She smelled so damn good.

"No, Sasuke, I don't want to come. Please, let me go," she said in a breathless whisper. I didn't know if she meant she didn't want to come at all or come like this, but she sounded desperate to do just that.

I lifted, bit the inside of her thigh and sucked hard.

"Not too hard," she whined, but I wanted my mark on her too badly to stop. I needed it on her and when I knew it would be purple enough, I lifted.

My eyes immediately hit her pretty, pink, needy sweet spot and my dick wanted to skip this part and go straight for balls deep, but my mouth had other ideas.

I had to taste her.

And without wasting any more time, I did. I licked her once, but it wasn't enough. I needed to taste more. I brought my hand around, desperate to feel her and I entered one finger.

Sakura gasped.

"Already so fuckin' wet for me, Baby," I breathed against her skin, more than pleased. I curled my finger and worked her, in and out, over and over as I ate her up with my mouth. When she moaned my name, I added another finger and she groaned. I heard the handcuffs rasp against the headboard as her thighs tightened around my face and I looked up to see her eyes closed.

I felt her insides clench around my fingers, but I knew she was holding back.

"Come for me, Sakura," I demanded roughly. She shook her head, fighting me, but I knew it wouldn't be long. I picked up the pace, my tongue and fingers claiming her, hitting her simultaneously in all the right spots.

"Oh my God," she breathed, panting.

Her thighs tightened even more and her legs lifted. She dug the heels of her feet into my back, turning me more the fuck on, and I was done. I needed her to come now and fast, because I needed inside her more than I needed my last breath.

"Come on, Baby," I urged, talking against her already sensitive flesh, breathing on her as my fingers massaged her sensitive core…and that was it.

She came undone in my hands.

Her body tensed and her back arched off the bed. I knew I'd have indentions, possibly bruises on my back from her heels.

"Sasuke!" she called out as she rocked back and forth against me and came hard.

Her muscles clenched around my fingers, and when I felt her cliSoushi finish, I refused to give her an opportunity to calm down. I wasted no time crawling up her body. I put my face right in front of hers, she was breathing hard and a single, lone tear slid out of the corner of her eye.

I kissed it away.

I framed her face with my hands and locked eyes with hers, staring deeply into the dark green depths that held power over me.

There was always something behind her eyes...trouble, probably…I wasn't sure, but they always captivated me.

I reached down between our bodies, never took my eyes from hers and caressed her again. She inhaled a sharp breath and I placed myself at her entrance.

I pushed the tip in and my neck strained from holding back. Sakura closed her eyes.

"Look at me, Baby," I ordered and to my surprise, her eyes flew open and hit mine.

"You're not leaving me. I won't let you," I informed her and pushed deeper.

She shook her head and whispered, "Please don't."

"No. I own you," I growled and her eyes widened. "Just as much as you own me," I finished and filled her completely.

I caught Sakura's whimper with my mouth as I pushed in and out. I felt her tug on the cuffs and I opened my eyes, but I didn't pull back.

"I want to touch you," she murmured against my lips and I decided I wanted her touch, too.

As soon as I had her uncuffed, I threw the key back on the stand, covered her body once more and entered her again. Sakura wrapped her arms around my back.

"You taste so damn sweet."

I wasn't going to last long and I needed her to come again.

I pumped harder and faster, and then her mouth was at my neck.

"Fuck," I hissed, my hips grinding down against hers. A sheet of sweat covered both our bodies.

"Oh God, keep going. Just like that," she urged against my ear, and my body was at her command, but it wasn't going to last long like this.

"Hurry, Baby, or stop touching me," I muttered, trying to hold back, and luckily, it was only a moment later that she fell apart, calling out my name, digging her nails into my back, her body withering beneath mine and I followed her orgasm with my own, groaning into her mouth as I devoured it.

When it was all over, we were both breathing hard and I felt Sakura's heart pounding in a rhythm that matched my own. I dropped my forehead on her shoulder and fell on top her. I held myself up by my forearms, trying hard not to let her take all my weight.

Sakura's arms embraced me fully as her fingers drew lazily on my back, and emotions I wasn't used to nor liked over took.

"I missed you, Freckles…I missed my wife," I whispered before kissing her shoulder. Her body trembled and I knew my words hit somewhere deep. I rolled to my side and took her with me. Her cheek pressed to my chest and I felt the wetness on her face like a knife to my skin.

She'd never be like this if it weren't for me. She'd cried more tonight than she had the whole year and a half we'd been together. I'd fucked up so badly with her that I truly had no right to want her back, but there was no way I could give her up again.

I wasn't an idiot. I knew this was reality and not a fairytale. I knew that there was a possibility our marriage still wouldn't work out between us, but the possibility of that happening was slim to none.

I'd make sure of it.

I just had to convince her.

"Shhhh...don't cry, Baby. No more crying. We'll fix this...I'll fix us," I vowed and squeezed her as tightly as I could without breaking a rib. She probably regretted what just happened - the sex - but it happened. There was no taking it back and it didn't matter if she could. She wasn't getting away from me now.

I wanted to say more, but I couldn't without breaking down myself, and I would never let that happen...not again.

My throat was tight from holding back my own tears, and I wrapped my body around hers like poison ivy and tangled my legs with hers as though it would protect her somehow.

I had no idea how much time ticked by, but it felt like hours before she finally stopped crying. I wondered if she had fallen asleep, until she moved to roll over without saying a word. I let her go, but as soon as she hit her other side, I wrapped myself around her back, threw my leg back over hers and held her firmly against my chest.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked in her ear, petrified to hear the answer, but what she said shocked the shit out of me.

"I was thinking about how we first met, and how you shoved yourself into my life…my heart. My world began and ended with you," she whispered and I squeezed my eyes shut.

I didn't know what to say, though I really didn't want to say anything at all.

I always said the wrong thing anyway, but nothing I could say would relay just how important Sakura was to me. So, I held her and I kept holding her until I felt her body relax. Then I held her tighter, knowing I was never letting her go. She'd probably hate me at first, but in the end, I'd make her love me again.

Just like she used to…

**So how was it? I'll try to update fast (that applies to all my unfinished stories)! Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters =)**

**_DenzleaH13_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi… Rush update! I forgot to mention in the first chapter that the characters are not in their usually known behaviors (OOC)… Here's another chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**Chapter Five**

Eight years earlier…

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Twenty-Three Years Old

Whose bright idea was it to do this? And who the hell got fucked up only two days before they were about to start the police academy?

Oh yeah...me.

_I am such a dumbass._

I groaned.

The room was spinning, people were everywhere, but I couldn't make out their faces anymore. I didn't even know who half of them were, and my head was throbbing because the music was. I swear to God, if they played _Sir Mix-A-Lot's _"Baby Got Back" one more time, I was going to punch a hole in the fuckin' speakers. Good thing the apartment complex was full of college students and they were all here or else the cops would have been called long ago.

My buddies were dancing...more like grinding against chicks' asses in the living room. They were a disgrace to men everywhere. I had no damn idea why they didn't just stop wasting their time and get down to the real grinding.

I shouldn't have come over here, but it's kinda hard to turn your friends down when they throw you a party for graduating. Before coming here, I'd had a talk with myself and I'd told myself, "Self, do not end up shitfaced."

But what happened? I got shit-faced.

And I was so...fuckin'...drunk that the wall between the kitchen and the living room had to hold me up.

"Dude!" I heard called from my back and I twisted my neck - not the best move when the room was still spinning. Suigetsu walked up and stood right next to me. "What's up?" I asked...or at least I think that's what I asked. I heard my voice and felt my mouth move, but who the hell knew. I swiped a hand down my face in effort to clear my vision and it worked long enough to see Suigetsu was grinning and jumpy, both of which were never good signs. He was hyper and I was not in the mood for hyper.

"Karin came. I know you just hit that, like, a week ago, but you mind if I get in there, bro?" He clapped his hands together in excitement and I rolled my eyes.

_Fuckin' Suigetsu_.

I shook my head a little, again, not a good move. Sloppy seconds or not, Suigetsu didn't give a shit as long as he got him some. And Karin would give him some and more…I think.

"It was a one-time thing, Suigetsu. I really don't care one way or the other. Have at it."

"Excuse me," I heard hissed from _really _close by and cringed before turning my headto face the seething female in front of me.

_Karin_.

She leaned in and hissed, "You slept with me last weekend and you're done with me? Just like that you're ready to pass me off to your friend?" She shoved me in the chest and I stumbled back, right into something solid; soft, but solid.

"Son of a biscuit," I heard screeched at my back as arms wrapped around my waist. The cup that had been in the hands holding me up soaked through the front of my shirt and jeans. The cup hit the ground just as I took a step forward to keep myself from falling further back.

I looked up at Karin just in time for her to slap me. I rocked back against the person at my back once more.

"Fuck," I hissed.

"You bastard," Karin shouted and I flinched, because her voice echoed over and over in my head.

"What's your damn problem? You knew the score. You knew it was just sex," I managed to mutter...I think.

I felt movement at my back and the arms around my waist shifted. My free arm was lifted and then landed around small shoulders. I looked down as a head covered in wavy, pink hair popped out from my side.

"Oh, chill the fuck out, Karin. Jeez! You had your tongue down some other asshole's throat at the club last night, so stop acting like you didn't bring this on yourself," the pink head chimed in.

_Other asshole?_

I was drunk, but I still knew she meant that I was one of them.

Karin gasped. "You're sticking up for him? You're my cousin," she shouted at the pinkhead and I winced again. God, her voice was awful.

"I'm not sticking up for him. I'm just tired of you acting like a raging bitch. Always trying to get attention. Every damn day it's something else with you. We can't ever just go somewhere and have a good time, without you screwing up the night."

"Oh really," Karin hissed, eyes narrowed, "If you have such a problem with me, then you can get the hell out of my apartment. I never wanted you there to begin with!"

"Fine! Good! I've been looking for another place to stay anyway," Pinkhead roared back, and for some reason, her voice didn't bother me half as bad as Karin's. I couldn't see her face.

I felt her neck turn against my arm as she faced Suigetsu. "Can you come take your friend please? He's heavy and if I let him go, he's going to fall on his ass…or his face." I hugged her shoulders tighter and her soft breasts pressed firmly against my ribs. She was a tiny thing.

At my movement, she looked up, her eyes met mine and my breath caught.

Drunk, seeing double, maybe quadruple, didn't matter...I fuckin' _saw _her.

For a second, I thought I might throw up, but I swallowed past the queasiness, looked up, caught Suigetsu's eyes and narrowed mine threateningly.

Suigetsu scowled, glanced at the pinkhead, then back at me, then at Karin who was glaring at all of us.

"You know what? Screw you all," Karin snapped and then whipped around and stomped off.

Suigetsu's head followed Karin's back and he muttered, assumingly to the pinkhead, "Sorry, Babe, no can do. Catch ya later." I felt her little body stiffen as Suigetsu took off running after Karin.

"You have got to be kidding me! He's your friend," the pinkhead shouted after him in disbelief.

A moment later, I heard a female shout, "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Which only meant Suigetsu had caught up to Karin.

My eyes went back to the pinkhead. That's all I could see. That's all I wanted to see.

Pink. Everywhere. Lots and lots of pink.

"Well, this sucks ass," she muttered and her eyes lifted to mine. "Do you have any other friends here who can take you home? Or maybe someone I can call to come get you?"

My eyes immediately took in her light, flawless, porcelain skin. I narrowed my eyes to focus on the light dusting of tiny, barely visible freckles on her perfectly straight, small nose. She looked like...a goddess. Her eyes were big and dark green, and something about them held mystery. They were darker, almost emerald. She had a round face, rosy cheeks and full, heart-shaped lips. Her hair was pink, but not too bright or too dark; it was the perfect shade. It was thick, long and wavy.

Fuck me, I wanted to shove my face in it.

"Hey, you okay? You're not going to throw up or anything are you? Because if you are, I'd rather be out of the line of fire," she finished through a grunt, as she shifted her feet and my arm on her shoulder. I realized then that I was leaning into her far too much and I was heavy. I had to be close to a foot taller than her too.

"I don't get sick, Babe, and I don't have any friends here," I lied. I had a shit lot of friends here, but I was going to make sure it was her that took me home.

"Well, looks like we're both out of luck. I don't have a car, Karin was my ride, and you're in no condition to drive." She paused, glanced away and pursed her pretty pink lips as if deep in thought. I wanted to lick them.

She looked back up.

"I could call a cab, I guess. Where do you live?" She stared at me and I wondered if she knew I hadn't taken my eyes off her face since having seen it. Maybe I was just trying to focus. Maybe she wasn't as beautiful as I thought and I was just overly drunk and seeing things. Maybe she'd be one of the chicks I woke up next to and instantly regretted waking up at all.

"Did you hear me, hot stuff?" she asked, tilting her head to the side; my eyes fell to her mouth.

"I uhhh...I live here, in the complex. Across the courtyard," I told her and when I lifted my eyes, hers were on my mouth where they lingered. When she met my eyes, she sighed as if in defeat and I had no idea why. She had no reason to feel defeated...I'd let her cute ass win at whatever the hell she wanted.

"All right. I'll take you home and call a cab from your place. But you better not try anything," she warned, while I wondered how she could sound serious and cute at the same time, like she honestly thought she could hurt me.

I grinned. "I promise I won't touch you."

Another lie.

She frowned.

Her eyes hit my mouth again; they lingered and my grin grew bigger.

Her eyes came back to mine and she hissed, "_Karin_..._lucky bitch_."

She looked away and started us toward the front door, and to my surprise, none of my idiot friends said a peep to me on the way out. Guess they were all busy...or about to get busy.

I was pretty sure I could have handled the walk without leaning into her as much as I was, but I liked the feel of her against me. Plus, it was drizzling outside and the slower I made her walk, the wetter she got and the more see-through her white top became.

_Asshole_.

I was such an asshole. I guess she'd pegged me right from the start.

When we finally made it to my front door, she looked up at me with eyes that could bring me to my knees.

"Please tell me you have the key," she said quietly. I shook my head, reached out and opened the door. She paused before helping me inside.

"You don't care about anyone breaking in?"

"Nope, I got nothing worth stealing. Someone wants my used up shit that badly, they can have it."

"Oookay...where's the bedroom?" she asked. I halted my steps in the middle of the living room. She jerked to a stop and our eyes met. It only took her a second to read my mind and she shook her head and snorted.

"Uh-uh, no way, lover boy. You can stop with the dreamy bedroom eyes. I'm helping your ass to bed and then I'm leaving. You're gonna have to find another toy to play with," she said through a chuckle.

_Well that sucks_.

I wanted her in my bed. I wanted her pink hair spread out across my pillow while I possessed her body. But maybe it was for the best. With all the alcohol in my system, I was pretty damn sure my performance would disappoint.

She cleared her throat.

"Right. Bedroom. Down the hall, first door on the right."

She led me there; through the living room, down the hall and past the restroom. She walked in my room, stopped right at the bed and let me go. I twisted and threw myself back, flat on the bed, legs hanging off the side.

She walked closer and I watched her study me, caressing me with her eyes.

"What do you sleep in?" she asked in an odd tone, and maybe slightly uncomfortably. When my brows met in confusion, she continued, "You're wearing my drink for one, and two, you're wet from the rain. You'll get sick if you stay in what you're wearing. Do you have pajamas or shorts or something that you sleep in? I could bring them to you before I leave."

I shook my head. "I sleep in my boxers, but I don't want to move."

I could if I had to, but I didn't want to.

"Are you really that drunk or are you playing me?"

I just shook my head.

"Oh boy," she breathed.

She had a little sling type purse contraption around her shoulder that crossed to her side. She took it off and set it on the night stand. Without hesitation, I felt the bed compress when her knee hit the mattress and her weight came down next to me. My eyes traveled down her face to her wet shirt and I saw everything.

Her full, plump breasts, tips puckered..._Shit._

Maybe I wasn't too drunk.

**Sakura Haruno**

Eighteen Years Old

_What the heck are you doing, Sakura? You should NOT be doing this_.

It was wrong in every sense of the word. It was like I was taking advantage of this guy, but the way he was looking at me, somehow, I knew he wouldn't mind. He'd probably even love to be taken advantage of. He was eyeing me like he wanted to eat me alive and I knew why. His eyes weren't on my face, they were glued on my chest, specifically my breasts. He wasn't even trying to be sly about it like most gentlemen would be if they got caught staring. No, he was openly and blatantly fucking me with his eyes.

_Typical jackass._

I could feel my nipples harden through my cold, wet, white shirt, and, in all fairness, I guess I couldn't blame him for looking. I too wanted to see what he had working under his clothes. I would just help him undress so he doesn't get pneumonia, then call a cab and wait in the living room.

_Right after I see him naked_.

"Can you sit up? I'll help you with your shirt," I offered. He shook his head again and I sighed. I should have known he was going to make this difficult. With my knees on the bed at his side, I grabbed the hem of his shirt and shuffled it up his chest and back. He arched a little to help and I struggled, but I finally managed to get it up to his shoulders. He did a slight ab curl, lifted his arms and I whipped the shirt over his head.

I looked down at his chest and froze.

_Holy shit! Is that normal?_

He was muscular; more muscular than any man I'd ever laid eyes on. Not that at eighteen years old, I'd seen many muscular men in the flesh, actually only one, but...

_Holy shit_!

In a shirt you could see every bulge in this guy's body, but without one...

_Da-yum_!

Raging horny hormones, please meet, fuck me upside, downside and twice sideways.

_Salt-n-Pepa _were singing "Whatta Man" in my head while the little devil on my shoulder was bent over in her mini skirt, ass in the air, saying...What. A. Man. Indeed.

I fisted my hands, because I _really _wanted to run my fingertips between thecreases of his abs. No guy should be allowedto look like this. If I licked him, really quick,would he notice? If he was drunk enough, hemight not even feel it.

Then I wondered if Karin did that to him already.

Then I remembered he fucked my megaslut cousin.

_Get a grip, Sakura!_

I sighed again, something I couldn't seem to stop doing. Karin always got the good ones. I knew it was only because she put out faster than the man could unzip his pants, but it was still a bummer.

This guy shifted and I looked up and straight into his black eyes, surrounded by long, thick black lashes that should be outlawed, and asked, "What's your name?"

I didn't feel like calling him hot stuff or lover boy anymore...even if he was that and then some.

"Sasuke," he mumbled.

_Sasuke..._

Even his name was sexy. Sasuke. It was easy and smooth, and the way he said it was like a caress over puntang.

Yes, puntang.

"Sasuke, what?" I pushed.

"Uchiha," he answered.

"Well, Sasuke Uchiha, I'm Sakura Haruno. Nice to meet you. Now that we have that formality out of the way and know each other on a personal level, are you wearing boxers under your jeans?"

I didn't wait for him to answer before I climbed back off the bed, and lifted one of his legs to remove a tennis shoe. Then, I moved to the other leg and did the same. By the time I finished, he still hadn't answered.

I looked up to see he was staring at me again and I raised one eyebrow questioningly.

"I'm waiting, Sasuke Uchiha. I don't mind helping you out of your jeans, but I want to make sure you've got something under them that'll cover your man junk. I stopped liking surprises when I was ten, so if you're not wearing boxers, I'd like to be prepared. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm still gonna check out what you're selling, but I have no intention of buying...if you catch my drift."

He frowned a nanosecond before his eyes widened in shock, which I thought was interesting. He didn't look like a man who'd be easily shocked. After another few seconds of silence and staring at me like I had two heads, he finally lifted his arms and laced his hands behind his head. His abs pulled taut from the movement and his biceps swelled.

My stomach was doing crazy somersaults and the little devil on my shoulder was lifting her mini skirt and shimming out of her panties, but somehow, I managed to not jump him.

"I'm wearing boxers, Babe, but the way you're looking at me…I really fuckin' wish I wasn't." He paused, never taking his eyes from my face and muttered, "Go for it."

I rolled my eyes and got down to business.

I started with the button and zipper. When both were undone, I snaked my fingers through the belt loops at his sides and tugged. Sasuke lifted his hips so I could draw them down his legs and there was no missing the huge swell at his crotch near my face. I ignored it and quickly rid him of the jeans.

That's when I decided not to ignore anymore. I let my eyes travel up his thick thighs and the large swell between his legs. No way could I even imagine being taken fully by him.

_Is it real?_

My eyes traveled up his strained abs, his muscular arms, and up to his face. He had a strong jawline, no scruff, but I could tell it would only take a day for it to grow. He had high chiseled cheek bones. His hair looked soft to touch. The color was jet black.

Our eyes met and his black, marble-like eyes sparkled.

"Like what you see?" he taunted and I grinned. It took a lot to embarrass me so he'd have to try much harder than that.

"Yes, actually, the view's quite nice from where I'm standing."

"Same here, Freckles," he responded and my belly fluttered. His use of F_reckles_ like an endearment was a little unnerving. Nobody ever liked my freckles and I wasn't particularly fond of them myself. I couldn't resist touching my nose to cover them. Normally, one coat of concealer would cover them up, but I'd been in the sun lately so they were a lot more noticeable.

"Don't do that," he ordered deep and low.

I dropped my hand.

"Ummm... okay. I think we're done here. I'm sure you can help yourself into bed." I paused, glanced around his room and my eyes hit the closet. "Would you mind if I borrow a shirt? I'll memorize your apartment number and return it or mail it back, I promise. I just don't want to leave here in what I'm wearing."

His eyes hit my chest again and I tilted my head to the side.

"Eyes up, Romeo."

"Take whatever you want," he said, and for some reason, I didn't think he was talking about only a shirt. I ignored him. It was the only thing I could do so I didn't get myself in trouble...with the guy that fucked my cousin.

_I have to keep remembering that._

I made it to the closet, which, I might add, was not a walk-in. I shuffled through the shirts until I found a red one with white U of H lettering and tagged it off the hanger. I kept my back to the bed and took off my wet t-shirt to replace it with the red one. I'd only just managed to cover my breasts, before something crashed into my back.

"What the hell?" I called out, just as my front slammed into the hanging clothes.

**:D flashbacks flashbacks… thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi! Here's two chapters (of flashbacks)… Hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Six**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Her hair smelled like coconut. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, because I never wanted to forget the smell. What did she say her name was again?

_Sarah? Sheena? Shit, I just wanted to call her Freckles._

_Sakura_!

I felt Sakura's soft body stiffen in my arms and I didn't like that.

Not one bit.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked softly, instead of crazed, which was a little surprising considering I'd just slammed into her back. I'd tried to make the maneuver smooth, but failed epically.

"I think you should stay here." I didn't know why I wanted her here, I just did.

"Sasuke—" Shit, I loved hearing her say my name.

"It's late and taking a taxi this late in Houston isn't safe. Just stay and I'll take you home in the morning." If anything, she stiffened more. Then, all was silent. I didn't know what she was thinking about, but I wasn't going to wait for her to answer and I wasn't giving her a choice. I picked her up and she let out a squeal. I carried her to the bed and threw her in it. I climbed in behind her, or more like fell in bed behind her, and I wrapped my arm around her waist before she could escape.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She sounded out of breath, probably trying to figure out what just happened. I didn't blame her. She didn't know me and was probably freaked.

"I just want you to stay here," I admitted again. She lay quiet and stiff as a board for at least a full minute. I pressed my face into her neck and held on tight in case she tried to flee.

"You promised you wouldn't touch me," she said, but she didn't sound scared. She sounded like she was only stating a fact.

I nodded against her neck. "I know."

"Well, you're touching me," she snapped.

"I know."

She sighed, defeated, but this time, she had a good reason to feel that way because she was. I felt and heard her take a deep, calming breath and then she exhaled loudly.

"If I agree to stay here, it's only because I forgot that I have nowhere else to go and I can't afford to stay at a motel. And just so we're clear, I'm not having sex with you. From what I overheard, you fucked my cousin last weekend, and I was never one for sharing. I like my toys shiny and new from the box. You're more than shiny, but you're definitely not new from the box. I don't do sloppy seconds."

My body turned to stone. Every muscle in my body strained and my hold on her waist tightened even more.

_Did she just call me sloppy seconds? Nobody's ever called me sloppy seconds. What the fuck?_

I lifted my head and narrowed my eyes on the profile of her face.

"Did I ask you to fuck me?" I growled, because it actually fuckin' stung that she threw that shit in my face. The fact that I really fuckin' regretted sexing up Sakura's cousin pissed me off even if, at that time, I had no idea who this little pinkhead was. The fact that I didn't remember much of the sexing up of her cousin pissed me off _even _more.

And when Sakura's emerald-green eyes hit mine, I instantly regretted every bitch I'd ever had sex with.

"No, you didn't ask me to fuck you, but I don't know you, and I wanted to get that straight before I decided to stay."

_Like she had a choice..._

"Whatever, Babe. Just go to sleep. The room is still spinning." I pressed my forehead back against her neck, closed my eyes and snuggled in deeper. Yeah, my big ass body snuggled into her little one and it fit perfectly. And she was soft and smelled like coconut. And the shirt she wore now only covered her breasts. Her stomach was bare. I lifted my hand and let my fingers graze the smooth skin there, but it only lasted a few seconds before her hand stopped mine.

"You shouldn't do that."

"I know."

"If I let your hand go, will you stop?"

"Nope."

"You're really annoying, you know that?"

"Yep," I answered and pushed my hand out of hers to continue grazing. I felt her turn her head away from me and her stomach tightened. This went on for minutes - at least that's what it felt like - but every time I tried to let my hand travel further up, or further down, she slapped my hand away and I hated it.

But finally, I couldn't resist the pull anymore and sleep consumed me.

**Sakura Haruno**

_Finally!_

I waited...and I waited…and even in his sleep he held me tight. I knew he was out by the way his body relaxed and his breathing grew deeper and louder.

_This is the most bizarre night of my life_.

I should have fought him more. Actually, I should have left him on the sofa in the living room and hauled ass out here, but I really had nowhere to go. Karin was pissed, but when wasn't she? She wouldn't be getting over this any time soon either...not that I cared. I just needed to figure out what the hell my next move would be.

I lifted Sasuke's arm off my stomach and tucked it between us carefully. He took a long, deep breath and I froze, hand in the air and waited until his breathing resumed to normal. I tugged softly on my hair that he was laying on, and when it was free, I managed to slide off the bed without him moving a muscle. I straightened my shirt and without looking back, I walked to his dresser and shuffled through them until I found a pair of gray sweat pants with a drawstring.

Again, without looking back, I walked from the bedroom to the living room. When I got there, I walked to the lamp, turned it on and took in my surroundings. Other than a slightly torn leather sofa, a matching recliner, two end tables - both with lamps sitting on top - and coffee table, the room was empty. No decorations of any kind. I didn't even see a T.V., which I thought was odd for a guy. Didn't they watch sports and drink beer all the time?

I turned and faced what I assumed was supposed to be a dining room and I walked to the small, round, four chair breakfast table that sat under a flimsy looking chandelier. Stacks of paperwork sat on top, as well as a number of baseball caps, but there was one single sheet of paper that sat alone. I picked it up, scanned the contents and realized it was an acceptance letter to the Houston Police Academy. The letter started with "Dear Mr. Uchiha" and I realized then that he'd lied to me.

That was _his _party we'd been at. I'd known going there that it was for someone who'd just graduated and got accepted into the academy.

_Why did he lie about not knowing anyone at his own party?_

I put the letter down, walked back down the hall to the bathroom, which was surprisingly decent seeing as it appeared Sasuke lived here alone. It wasn't the cleanest, but it also wasn't disgusting. I did my business, changed into the enormous sweat pants and cinched the drawstring as tight as it would go, before heading back out. I walked into Sasuke's bedroom and saw that he was still in the same position I'd left him in. I folded my jeans and placed them on the dresser before setting my white Keds on top. I carefully tagged a pillow off the bed and then I quickly scanned it for an available blanket or sheet, but he was lying on top of both. Since I didn't know where he kept spares, I just went back to the sofa, sunk into it and passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Seven**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I groaned and threw an arm over my eyes. Fuck, it was bright! I didn't move. I didn't dare move. My stomach rolled, and any sudden movement, I'd surely throw up.

I groaned again.

_What the fuck did I do last night?_

I took a chance and glanced at the bedside clock, but I couldn't see the time because there was a glass of water blocking the view. And, when I got my eyes to focus, what looked to be two pills sat next to it.

_Did I put those there?_

I lifted a little and read the time. Seven in the morning. Thank God, it was only Sunday.

I swiped a hand down my face to clear it, waited a minute and then sat up. My stomach rolled again, but I managed to keep it under control. I stood up, walked to the bathroom and silently wondered how in the hell I'd gotten out of my clothes. I took care of business and then took a shower.

By the time I got out, the bathroom was fogged and I felt only slightly better, but at least I was fresh. I wrapped a towel around my waist, walked back to my room and froze in front of my dresser.

_What the hell?_

I grabbed the small, white, feminine tennis shoes, eyed them suspiciously, dropped them on the floor and picked up the jeans that sat folded underneath the shoes. I immediately wondered who the hell was supposed to be in them. I glanced around the room and didn't see anyone. I dropped the jeans to the floor, opened my drawer, pulled out a pair of shorts and slipped them on.

I walked out of the room, down the hall, into the living room and stopped dead in my tracks, because there she was. The owner of the chick jeans and shoes was laid out on my couch sound asleep. And, I might add, wearing my favorite red t-shirt and gray sweats. They swallowed her.

I walked closer until I towered over her, and then I knelt down.

_Fuck..._

She was gorgeous and I made her sleep on the couch_?_

_Way to go, asshole._

She was on her side facing me. Her hands were tucked under the pillow, under her cheek. Her pink hair fanned out across the pillow and her pink, heart-shaped lips were slightly open. I lifted my finger, ran it across her bottom lip and her lips pressed together. Then she shifted and I pulled back automatically and wondered what the hell my problem was. Why would I touch her?

I watched in fascination as she pulled up her knees and brought them to her chest. Her arms slid from the pillow and her hands snaked between her thighs as if warming them up. I touched her check and she shivered.

Her skin was freezing.

_I kicked her out of my bed and didn't give her a fuckin' blanket_?

_No fuckin' way._

I shook my head at the thought. She had to have moved out here on her own. I'd never have kicked this face out of my bed. In fact, if my memory would come back clearer, I was pretty certain I made her stay with me...tucked into me...or me tucked into her until I passed out.

I drank in her features quickly once more, before standing and slowly making my way back to the bedroom; I still felt light headed.

I yanked the blanket off the bed a little more forcefully than I should have.

**Sakura Haruno**

Oh my God, something smelled delicious. I stretched, but my body stiffened when my hands came in contact with something soft over my head. I knew instantly I was on a couch. My heart picked up speed, my eyes flew open and I scanned the area quickly. Luckily, my memory of the night before came back fast and sharp.

_But why am I covered with a blanket?_

"Oh good, you're awake," a deep voice said and my eyes shifted to the direction it came from. My already fast pumping heart went into overdrive as I watched a shirtless Sasuke walk out of the kitchen and head my way. I sat up, pressed my back against the arm of the couch, and quickly tried to wipe the mascara from under my eyes. I crossed my legs just as he sat down in front of me.

Our eyes met.

"Good morning," I muttered, trying hard to let as little of my morning breath escape my mouth as possible.

"Morning to you too, Freckles," he muttered and the corners of his mouth tipped up into an annoyingly handsome smile, one that said he was trying really hard not to grin. I narrowed my eyes and he couldn't hold on any longer - the grin broke free. I didn't know what was so funny. Clearly, he was gorgeous and knew it and, without a doubt, he'd woken up to stunning women many times in his life - one of which I wasn't.

But he didn't have to rub it in.

"Am I that funny looking to you?" I snapped and his grin vanished, but it was instantly replaced by a frown.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, exasperated.

I blinked. "No, I'm not kidding. I know I probably don't live up to bombshell status, or your requirements for bed banging privileges, but I'm still cute. You just caught me at a bad time. Mornings and my hair don't go well together."

It was his turn to blink.

I sighed. "While we're on the subject of looks, can you please put on some clothes? More specifically a shirt? It's too early to look at a hot guy, and there's too much of you to concentrate on before coffee."

His grin grew blinding and I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe I'm not wearing a shirt because I want to wear the one you have on."

I quickly glanced down at the ginormous red t-shirt I was wearing. Then, I glanced down further. "Did you cover me with the blanket?" I asked, ignoring his comment.

His grin disappeared and he countered with a question of his own, "Why'd you come out here to sleep on the couch? I don't remember all that much about last night, but I definitely don't think I did anything inappropriate," he pointed out.

He also sounded disappointed, which I thought was odd. Was it because he didn't touch me inappropriately or because I came to sleep on the couch? I wondered. I also supposed he didn't consider rubbing his hand all over my stomach, throwing me in bed and holding me down "inappropriate".

"No, you didn't really do anything wrong. I just wasn't comfortable sleeping in the same bed with you."

His frown deepened as he studied my face. I could feel the red that I hated creeping up my cheeks.

"You mind if I get up so I can change and brush my teeth," I asked softly, because the staring was starting to become very uncomfortable.

He shook his head and suddenly stood up, looking extra-large towering over me with no shirt on. How did a guy get to be that big? I mean, he was tall, but I'd seen plenty of tall guys before. Shit, I was five-three, so most women were taller than me, but lover boy here was tall, and his body was wide, and his stomach was ripped, and his shoulders were broad, and he had that v-thingy at his hips, and...

"Sakura!" he called out for like...the third time and my head craned upward.

"What? I heard you the first time, but I was checking you out. Jeez! I told you to put on a shirt," I snapped back because I was a tad bit embarrassed he caught me ogling him, but since he had caught me, there was no reason to hide it. Plus, I'd wanted to look longer and he interrupted me.

"Jesus, you're cute," he said through a chuckle.

"Well, again, I'm only _cute _because you're seeing me first thing in the morning and I'm in your baggy ass clothes. Otherwise, I'm drop dead gorgeous."

"That you fuckin' are," he growled.

My heart skipped a beat.

"I was kidding," I whispered.

He ignored me.

"Your clothes are in the dryer, Babe. Why don't you just hang out in what you're wearing, or get naked for all I care? Actually, I'd much prefer you naked, but I highly doubt you're up for that yet. So, just hang out, make yourself at home while I finish cooking us breakfast. I don't have a TV, but I have a laptop that I can bring you if you want to use it... You have anyone you need to call to let them know you're safe?"

_No TV? Who the hell doesn't have a TV?_

…**so… I'll be posting a lot more flashbacks… Hope you liked it, thank you for reading and don't forget to review… -_- No energy today, caught a cold…**

**Laters… :}**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi… Stayed up all night (can't sleep) with my guitar and lappytoppy… Another two chapters for you guys! Hope you like 'em..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Eight**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I watched a million different emotions play across Sakura's face, but the expression she settled on was surprise.

She held up a finger. "The fact that you have no TV is just plain weird...possibly even creepy. Do you play with dolls or something?"

_The fuck_?

She held up another finger before I could respond. "Let's get one thing straight. I'm never getting naked in front of you, behind you, with you or anything involving _you_."

_Yeah, okay._

She added another finger. "Thanks for washing my clothes."

She added another finger, making it four now. "Are you a good cook or will I get food poisoning?" She paused and I spoke when I realized she was actually waiting for me to answer.

"I'm making crescent rolls from a package and scrambled eggs. I'm pretty sure I can handle it, Babe."

She sighed before nodding in approval. "Good, because I'm starving."

She dropped her hand. "And to answer your last question, I do have someone I need to call, but he can wait. I'll call him when I leave."

I stiffened.

"A boyfriend?" I asked, immediately and unintentionally heated.

_Is that the reason she left me and came to sleep on the couch last night?_

I crossed my arms over my chest, her head tilted to the side, pink hair spilled over her left shoulder and she regarded me with suspicion before her heart-shaped lips moved.

I couldn't take my eyes away from them.

"No, he's a friend. Not that it's any of your business," she snipped.

"A friend you're having sex with?" I demanded to know, and again, I didn't mean to sound like such an asshole, but the thought of her with another fuckin' guy was pissing me off. I didn't want to imagine those pretty, pink, heart-shaped lips touching anyone else's lips but mine, which of course was insane.

I swiped a hand over my head and down my face.

_I really need to eat. I'm losing my damn mind_.

Her eyes narrowed and I knew whatever she was about to say was not going to make me happy and would only piss me off more, so I held up my hand.

"I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business, I know. Just...do whatever you want while I cook. I need to eat something." I turned and walked the few steps it took me to hit the kitchen. I took the eggs out of the refrigerator, grabbed a bowl, found the Tony Chachere Seasoning and I did my thing.

I did a one-eighty, turned from the back counter against the wall to the counter facing the living room, bowl in hand. As I beat the ever-loving shit out of the eggs inside, all I wanted to know was _who in the fuck this guy_ _was that she needed to call_.

Sakura stood up from the couch and caught my attention. Not that my focus wasn't already consumed by her. I watched as she looked down at herself and tugged at the shirt she wore with annoyance, but I had no idea why. She looked sexy as hell in my damn clothes, even though they swallowed her.

She lifted the hem of the shirt, brought it to her neck and held it up with her chin. I froze when I saw her bare stomach, her belly button ring, and a clear view of her generous hips and ass. She grabbed the drawstring of the sweats, untied them and then retied them, probably tighter.

She rolled the waistband three times over before letting go of the shirt, bending down at the waist and rolling up the bottom of each leg a few times. She lifted, grabbed the shirt hem again, twisted it at her hip, tied it in some kind of chick knot and tucked it under the side of the shirt.

Her fair skin peeked out just above the waistband of the sweats at her hip bones, and I didn't know if it was just the fact that she was in my clothes, or the fact that she looked fuckin' hot standing in my living room, or both, that had me feeling like I was a fifteen-year-old boy.

She looked up, our eyes met and I went back to beating the shit out of the eggs.

"Do you need some help?" Sakura asked as she walked toward the kitchen, and I shook my head.

"Nah, I'm good. There's only three minutes left on the timer for the rolls, so help yourself to coffee, or there's orange juice in the fridge. Other than that, that's all I have to drink."

"Coffee. Thank you."

After I showed her where the cups were, I finished cooking the eggs and we sat down at the breakfast table. I realized how weird, yet oddly comfortable everything felt. I'd never had a chick stay for breakfast, especially a breakfast that I half-ass cooked for her. Chicks had stayed the night here, sure, but I tried to get rid of them as fast as I could.

"This is delicious," she said through a small smile after her first bite, and I smiled back at her dreamy expression. She sounded like she hadn't eaten in years.

"I'm glad you like it. So, what are your plans for the day?"

She took another bite and thought on my question.

"Well, if it's all right with you, I'd like to take a shower here." She paused, caught my eye and waited for me to acknowledge her.

_Like I'd say no._

"Do whatever you gotta do, Freckles."

Another small smile played on her lips, clearly liking my use of the word "Freckles", before she continued. "Thanks. Ok, well, after that, I need to catch the bus to Karin's place so I can pack my stuff and move out."

The hand holding the fork an inch from my mouth froze mid-air, because I couldn't believe the words that had come out of her mouth. This gorgeous girl actually rode in public transportation and Houston public transportation at that? Not that transportation here was bad, but for someone who looked like her... it was dangerous.

"Do you have a car or do you always take the bus?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't afford a car. I usually take the bus if I can't hitch a ride with Karin, which is pretty much all the time. She's my cousin, but she's a bitch and we don't get along - obviously...I was only staying with her because I had to." Her voice quieted and her eyes veered off, before continuing. "It's a long story, so don't ask. I was planning on moving out soon anyway, so I'll just take the bus."

_Hell, no_.

The thought of her taking the bus actually made my stomach roll again. "You're not taking the bus. I told you last night that'd I'd take you, so I'll take you. And I'll help you move," I stated.

Her eyes looked down at her plate of food. She picked up and sipped from her cup of coffee. She put the cup down and then she looked at my face, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.

"I'd rather you didn't," she said softly. "I appreciate the offer, really, but if Karin sees me show up with you, it'll just cause more problems, and I want to get in and out of there as fast as I can. For all I know, she probably threw what little stuff I have outside anyway. I'll manage fine on the bus."

"I'm not letting you take the bus," I told her darkly, because her casualness about taking public transportation annoyed me. Actually, I refused to let her take the bus, but it would more than likely piss her off if I said that out loud, so I kept my refusal to myself. "It's Sunday. I have nothing going on today and I feel a little responsible for why you have to move out. The least I can do is give you a ride and help you move. She starts any shit with you, I'll deal with it."

Sakura bristled at my statement. Visibly bristled. I watched her do it and it was cute. Not only cute, but it was such a fuckin' turn on knowing she was about to throw attitude that I had to forcefully stop myself from grinning.

She sighed. "I get that you want to help me and it's nice of you to offer, but I really don't need your help. There's a chance Karin won't be there, but it's slim. If she sees you, she's going to assume something happened between us—that didn't. She'll run and tell her daddy - my uncle - and he's really the one I don't want to upset. So, again, thanks for the offer, but I'll take the bus."

**Sakura Haruno**

An hour and fifteen minutes later, I was steaming mad as I sat, arms crossed over my chest, in Sasuke's beat up black Chevy pickup, headed to Karin's. He'd tricked me. The bastard had tricked me!

After we finished breakfast and I'd helped him load the dishwasher, I'd taken a shower and changed back into the clothes I was wearing yesterday. When I was ready to leave, he'd offered to drive me to the bus stop, and since I had no idea where the bus stop even was around his apartment, I'd easily agreed.

But, after ten minutes of driving and passing five bus stops along the way, I knew we were headed toward Karin's place. The fact that he knew where her place sickened me, because I knew exactly why Sasuke knew where Karin lived. I silently wondered how I hadn't seen him with her. Maybe he snuck in? No, I'd probably been at work while they were doing the dirty.

At least I knew that Karin hadn't slept in his bed, not that it mattered either way, but I had been in his bed last night for approximately four minutes and that would have been tacky…not to mention nasty.

Even the idea of him with Karin was gross. Not gross on Karin's part, but gross on Sasuke's part. Many men knew where Karin lived, and I decided to let Sasuke in on that little bit of information, because I was furious, yes, but because he also deserved to know.

I twisted my neck, glared at his profile and had the extreme pleasure of watching him glance at me with huge eyes as I informed him, "If I were you, I would go get checked out at a clinic. Especially, if you didn't use protection with Karin. I hope you did, but from what I've heard her say, she sometimes 'forgets' to use it." I paused to let all that sink in before adding, "Just thought you'd like to know."

Sasuke cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but he didn't speak. I turned away and kept my eyes locked on anything and everything outside my window, instantly feeling bad for what I just said. It was rude. It was true, but I never should have said it the way I did. I wasn't usually that rude, but there was something about Sasuke that, even without doing or saying anything to set me off, boiled my blood.

I knew I was only taking my frustrations out on him, because, from the get-go, I hadn't wanted him to take me to Karin's. If I was normal, I wouldn't have cared, but because I wasn't normal, the last thing I wanted was for Sasuke to find out anything about me. I didn't like people knowing things about me. I wasn't embarrassed about my past, because it couldn't be helped, but people were cruel and the more they knew about a person, the more power they held. And that power was usually used as a weapon of words.

The rest of the twenty-minute drive was in silence, which was good since it gave me the perfect opportunity to think of every which way to keep Sasuke from finding out anything about me.

As soon as we pulled up to Karin's apartment, Sasuke threw the truck in park and I threw open my door. I was just about to jump out when Sasuke caught me by the arm and stopped my eager movement. I faced him and his expression caught me completely off guard, but it also made me feel even more like shit. He didn't look angry. He didn't even look disgusted with what I'd said. No, oddly, he looked sorry.

He kept his hold on my arm and leaned over. His free hand wrapped around the back of my head, and his fingers tangled in my hair as he brought my face closer to his. My heart stopped, dropped to my stomach and quickly restarted.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a whisper, but he didn't respond right away. Instead, his eyes studied my face brazenly. After a painfully slow minute, he spoke; his words and deep, low voice, rattled me to the core.

"I get that you don't know me. I get that, for whatever reason, you don't want my help. I get that you and your cousin do not get along. I get that you think I fucked up by fucking your cousin, but you gotta know that I had no idea you even existed when I met her. If I'd known you, if I'd only laid eyes on you, I wouldn't have looked any other way. Whether you would have let me get close to you is another thing, but I sure as shit would have tried. So, you also need know that I regret your cousin, and I don't regret much in my life so far. Not only do I regret it, but I don't remember much of it and I thank a lot of alcohol for that."

I'd stopped breathing the moment he started talking. His coal eyes bore into mine so deeply, I felt lost in them. His eyes moved to study my face with methodical care, as if memorizing every single one of my features. And I let him. When his eyes came back to mine, they locked tight and he continued.

"I like you. The cousin thing makes this messy, and I get that, but I want to know you better. I think you're fucking gorgeous. Not only that, but you're adorable. You have little freckles on your nose that I want to kiss." The hand behind my head released my hair from its grasp and drew back. He touched the bridge of my nose with the tip of his index finger and his eyes traveled the same path.

His voice was softer when he spoke next. "I like that you aren't afraid to piss me off, but the fact that you think you're actually pissing me off is cute as hell. So, I'm getting to know you whether you like it or not. And I'll get checked, not that I'm worried because I've never gone without protection, but to be positive, I'll get tested. If you can't take the cousin thing after you get to know me better, I'll leave you alone...but that's gonna be hard for you, because I'm gonna _make _it hard for you," he finished in a low, determined growl.

With that, he let me go completely, twisted his body, opened his door, and in one fluid motion, slid out of the truck.

_Oh shit!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Nine**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

_Bitches be fuckin' crazy._

I shook my head, thinking that was the only reason Karin would run out of her bedroom wearing nothing but panties and a tank top as she flung obscenities and bitchy remarks at Sakura. From the moment Sakura had opened the front door, Karin started in.

Sakura was taking it like a champ, holding her head high and not giving her asshole cousin the time of day, but I wanted to slap the filthy mouth off her face.

And I knew, in that moment, as I followed Sakura down the hall to her room, that I must have been out of my mind fucked up when I'd slept with Karin, because she was disgusting; everything about her, from her uneven red hair to her chunky feet and red toes. It also hit me that Sakura probably thought I was just as disgusting for having been with Karin.

I made a mental note to fix the screwed up shit I hadn't realized I had gotten myself into as soon as we left - starting with a call to the doctor.

_Fuck!_

That unwelcome realization pissed me off more.

"God, I wish my father never found you," Karin continued to shout. I didn't even know what she meant, but I'd had enough. I spun around and Karin took a step back, probably because of the murderous expression on my face.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch, and take your nasty ass back to bed where you belong," I roared and Karin gasped.

"Sasuke," I heard Sakura call out behind me, but I ignored the worry in her tone and kept my narrowed eyes trained on the whore in front of me.

Until I heard Suigetsu's voice.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" I glanced at him as he strolled out of Karin's bedroom without a shirt on. Well, clearly he'd gotten what he'd wanted last night. I gave him a chin lift and a, "What's up, man," and turned my narrowed eyes back to Karin to give her a piercing stare.

As soon as I knew my eyes relayed my warning, I turned back to continue following Sakura.

Her eyes were locked on mine and she didn't move until I made it to her. I placed my hand on the small of her back and she mouthed a silent "Thank you." I grinned, her eyes hit my mouth and she rolled her eyes and started walking.

When we made it to Sakura's room, which was the size of a matchbox, I noted instantly that it was empty. She had almost no personal possessions other than a few framed photos, clothes and shoes. Sakura pulled out two ratty suitcases, unzipped them and started throwing clothes - hangers and all - inside. I could tell she was trying to get the hell out of there as fast as she could.

I picked up the picture frames, glanced at the people posing in each one and made another mental note to ask Sakura who they all were – especially the blonde dude hugging her in every one. My gut was tight with unanswered questions, but I knew it wasn't the time to start asking them.

About fifteen minutes later, we finished packing and walked through the living room, past a fuming Karin and smiling Suigetsu, and headed down the stairs. I was carrying both suitcases and following behind Sakura as she led the way back to my truck.

"It's no wonder why no family ever wanted you, Sakura! I'm sure they saw the same loser in you that I see. You're trash, just like your mom and dad were," Karin hollered so loud I had no doubt every tenant in the complex heard.

I stopped dead in my tracks the same time Sakura did.

My heart thundered in my chest and blood roared in my ears when I realized what Karin was saying and what her words meant. Sakura spun on her heels, her eyes caught mine and they were filled with tears.

"You bitch," Sakura hissed in disbelief. Then, catching me off guard, she repeated in a shout, "You bitch!"

Sakura took the steps, two at a time to reach her cousin. I dropped the suitcases in my hands and caught her around the waist before she could pass. She was so tiny that I hauled her up, back against my chest, feet clear off the steps and I started down them.

"Calm down. She's not worth it," I grunted in her ear, because as tiny as she was, she was wiggling in my hold so frantically, I nearly dropped her little ass down the stairs. Luckily, I hit the sidewalk, put her feet on the ground, kept my arm curled vise tight around her waist, and ushered her - not so gently - toward my truck before that happened.

"I hate her," she shouted. "Let me go so I can whoop her _ass_!"

The situation was far from funny, but I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at her use of the word "whoop".

_Fuckin' cute._

"Sasuke, I'm serious! Let. Me. Go!" she shouted again.

I ignored her until we made it to my truck. I fumbled with the handle, threw the passenger door open, hefted her up and set her ass on the seat despite her protests. Her head swung around and thick, wavy, pink hair whipped around in the wind. She was breathing hard and her chest heaved as she glared at me through narrowed, yet sad eyes. The only good that look did was seal her fate.

A fate that meant she was going to be stuck with me for a good, long while.

She was gorgeous, naturally. Anger and all...even though she sort of looked like one of those flying squirrels ready to take a leap right onto someone's face. That face being mine.

"Babe—" I started, but she cut me off.

"_Stop _calling me babe. I am _not _your babe and never will be," she snapped in my face, hair-flying wild in the wind and I couldn't resist. I lowered my head, inches from her face and I thought she would back up, but she held herself still, chin held high, clearly refusing to back down.

_Good._

I smiled.

"All right, Freckles." I wasn't backing down either, but her eyes narrowed to slits and begged for a fight that I refused to give her because she was angry at someone else. "Here's the deal...your embarrassment of a cousin will call the cops if you lay a finger on her. Don't think for a second that she'd let you touch her without making your life even more miserable than she probably already has." I paused and cupped her cheek in the palm of my hand.

My eyes held hers and when I saw her stop breathing, I crushed my lips to hers. She let out a cry of surprise, which gave my tongue the perfect opportunity to search and find hers. Sakura's hands grabbed on to my arms to hold on and I kissed her hard and fast before coming up for air.

Her eyes opened lazily and they were filled with desire, and apprehension. She was breathing hard and her lips were swollen, the edges pinker than usual. I traced her bottom lip with my thumb, before I promised, "I'll take care of it."

I gave her a swift kiss, turned and then jogged back to where Karin was still standing, now with Suigetsu.

**Sakura Haruno**

_Oh my God!_

I touched a hand to my lips and pressed; the feeling of Sasuke's lips still lingered on mine. Why did he just kiss me? Was it because he actually wanted to or just to take my mind off kicking Karin's ass? Could what Sasuke did to my mouth even be considered a kiss?

I have never been kissed like that…well, I've only been kissed once and it was by my gay best friend, so I didn't actually know what a real kiss was supposed to feel like.

I was so confused.

This was exactly why I kept telling Sai I needed more experience with guys, but he refused to help me out. Gay or not, my best friend could still show me how it worked since he'd been in more relationships than I could count on two hands, but me? Not even one.

"Nobody needs to touch you, Sakura. You're too precious," Sai always said and it drove me crazy.

I slapped my hand on my thigh in frustration. Guys were exasperating! And what did Sasuke mean when he'd said, "I'll take care of it"?

I jumped when something hit the back of the truck.

I craned my neck around just in time to see Sasuke throw my second suitcase in the bed of the truck. He walked around the driver's side, got in, closed the door, put the key in the ignition and started the truck without saying a word. I took his cue, reached for my door and slammed it shut.

"What did you tell Karin?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean 'nothing'?" I knew damn well he was lying.

"Nothing, really. I just told her to stay the hell away from you," he muttered as he pulled out of the parking lot and, for some reason, I was really disappointed.

"Oh," I whispered.

He started talking the moment I looked away. "I also told her that I have never wanted to put my hands on a female more than I wanted to put mine around her neck. Then I told her that she'd do well to keep her mouth full of dick like she's used to, so that her filthy tongue doesn't get her into trouble with the wrong person…because next time, another man might not be as generous as me."

My mouth hung agape in astonishment.

"And I might have threatened to make her life hell when I become a cop if I find out she's so much as looked at you the wrong way. But, if anyone asks, I never said that." He paused before asking, "Where am I taking you?"

_Oh shit._

How did I answer that? This was exactly why I didn't want him bringing me here.

"Ummm…It's on Louisiana Street. I'll show you the building when we get closer," I answered, and then for some reason, I continued lying. "I'm going to stay with a friend for a couple weeks until I can get an apartment. He'll probably room with me too."

However, I wasn't sure if Sai would be moving in with me. He was still staying with his foster family. They were sweet and helped Sai in every way they could, even with school. If I were him, I would never leave.

I peeked at Sasuke and he glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't say anything, and he didn't look happy. His knuckles on the steering wheel turned white.

"What happened to your parents?" he asked and I closed my eyes, not out of embarrassment but because it wasn't something I liked to talk about.

"I don't really know. Nobody knows," I admitted softly. "They were both drug addicts and gave me up for adoption the moment I was born."

"Then how is Karin your cousin? She your adopted family or somethin'?"

I sighed.

"No, Sasuke, didn't you hear what she said about no families wanting me? I was never adopted. Parents weren't too keen on pink hair and freckles when looking for a kid to take home and fit in with their perfect families –"

"Oh come on, you don't really believe that," he cut me off.

I frowned. "Believe what?"

"That no family wanted you. You're beautiful, Sakura. I'm sure as a little girl, with all that wavy pink hair and freckles, you were the cutest one in the room. If anything, they were probably already intimidated," he said, and my belly fluttered, because that was such a nice thing to say at a time when I really needed to hear it.

"Thank you for saying that, but yes, I believe what I said. How can I not? I've lived in three foster homes until the day I turned eighteen. It was then that I decided I wanted to find my real parents, but the only person my social worker could find was my dad's brother—Karin's dad."

"His name is Fujiro and had no idea his brother had me. He still says that he never would have let me be sent into the system had he known. And it's only been five months, but he's been trying real hard to make me feel like family. Hence, the reason I was staying with Karin. He's paying for that apartment and I was pretty much guilt tripped into staying there too for college. Karin, on the other hand, hates me because I stepped into her territory," I finished and Sasuke said nothing.

He looked angry.

Other than me giving quiet directions, the fifteen-minute ride to the women's shelter was in silence. It wasn't until he pulled up to the building next door to the one I needed to go to that I spoke.

"Thank you for saying what you said to Karin."

He glanced at me and muttered, "You're welcome."

"Why did you kiss me?" I asked softly, and that's when Sasuke finally _looked _at me.

"Because I needed to."

Okay. What kind of answer was that?

"The blonde that's hugging you in all your pictures…Is that who you're gonna stay with until you find your own place?" he asked, ignoring my question. And no, I wasn't going to stay with Sai, but I didn't want to tell him I was staying at a shelter.

"Yeah, that's Sai—"

"I thought you said you didn't have a boyfriend," he said in a tone filled with accusation.

I felt my eyebrows lift, a little taken aback by his line of questioning and annoyed that he cut me off midsentence.

"You're right, I don't have a boyfriend."

He looked frustrated and, truthfully, so was I. I'd just told him a little about my past and he was questioning me about Sai?

"I don't like it. You shouldn't be staying with him."

I gasped. "Well, you don't have to like it. Sai's my best friend and you don't even know him."

"I don't have to know him. Best friends don't touch the way he was touching you in those pictures." Again, he was accusing me of something, practically calling me a liar with his eyes, but he wouldn't just come right out and say it.

"Well Sai does. He can touch me how ever the hell he wants," I snapped because one, Sai was gay so his touch was different. Two, we grew up in foster care together and he was practically my big brother. He took care of me and we had each other's backs. Three, my relationship with Sai was none of Sasuke's damn business.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and a muscle ticked in his jaw.

"Well then, I'm sorry I kissed you, Sakura. If you tell him about it, give him my apologies and let him know it was a mistake."

"Excuse me—"

"I'll help you with your bags," he said, again cutting me off, and then he jumped out of the truck.

My head screamed "No" while my heart cried.

…**DAMN! You assume too much! (-_-) Thank you for reading and don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi!.. Somehow my computer started autocorrecting things that I type (that I intend to type that way…even in renaming files)… Here are two chapter for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Ten**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Jealous. How the fuck was I jealous of someone I didn't even know? I'd just met her last night. She said she didn't have a boyfriend, but she was going to live with that guy? And he could touch her, but she hadn't even slept in my bed last night?

_Fuck!_

Never… _never _have I wanted someone so much.

And she was only eighteen. I was twenty-three. That couldn't be right…but why didn't it feel wrong? She didn't talk like a teenager either. Shit, three foster homes? She's probably been through more in her eighteen years than most people will ever go through in their entire lives. The last thing I wanted to do was make her life more difficult with all the fuckedupness that was me.

I really needed to calm down, because she didn't deserve my bullshit.

I walked to the back of the truck, grabbed both of her suitcases, and lifted them out of the bed just as she made it to me. Her eyes were downcast and I felt even more like shit.

"Thank you, I'll take them," she mumbled and held out her hands for the suitcases. I shook my head.

"I'll carry them for you," I said, instantly deciding that I was going to meet the guy she was staying with.

_Just to make sure she's going to be okay, that's all_.

At least that was my plan. Sakura had other ideas.

"Don't do me any fucking favors," she seethed.

She grabbed on to the handles of the suitcases and yanked them out of my hand. I let them go easily. "I told you before, I don't want or need your help."

She turned, walked to the cross walk and ran across the street. I just stood there like a jackass and watched the back of her pink hair until she disappeared around the corner of the building; I was so out of sorts, it didn't even register that she didn't enter the building I was parked in front of.

I stood there wondering how I could have fucked up so badly. Would I ever see her again? Would she even want to see me? Should I go after her?

Jesus, she'd just told me about her past, which had to have been difficult, and I ran her off. I pinched the bridge of my nose thinking I was such a selfish asshole.

I would give her time. I messed up and I needed to apologize, but I knew I needed to give her time.

Tomorrow.

After training at the academy, I'd come back and find her. I'd sit outside the building and wait for her to come out if I had to. If she doesn't come out tomorrow then I'd come back the next day…and the day after that until I saw her again.

With that decided, I turned, got back in the truck and drove home.

"Hello," I answered groggily when I saw "Mom" flash across the window of my cell.

"Hey, Honey, were you asleep?" she asked and I glanced at the wall. Four o'clock. Shit, I slept three hours. I wondered if Sakura fell asleep too… with the blonde.

I groaned at the thought.

"Yeah, but I need to get up and get things ready for tomorrow. How are you feeling?" A routine question to my mom, especially since her sugar levels had been acting up again.

"I'm fine, Son, please stop worrying," she begged softly.

"That's kinda hard, Ma. The last time you called and said you were fine, I got a call from Kaho an hour later letting me know she was taking you to the hospital."

She released a loud and drawn out sigh.

"I was fine then and didn't need to go to the hospital either. I just needed some insulin…that woman makes such a big deal out of everything," Mom muttered, and I smiled immediately. Yeah, all Mom's friends made a big deal out of everything, but to me, that was a good thing. It kept Mom's time occupied and it kept her mind on better things than her Diabetes.

Plus, I liked Kaho. She had taken over driving Mom to the dialysis center the day I'd left for college. Without her, I never would have been able to drive all the way back to Clear Lake and study at U of H downtown.

"Speaking of Kaho, that's why I'm calling," Mom said.

_Ah hell…_

"So, I just got off the phone with Ria, and she told me she was out shopping with Kaho, who told her that she was with Ame this morning, and that Ame told Kaho she saw you."

I had to replay that over in my head a few times to make heads or tails out of who said what. "Okay, and?"

"Well, Ria told me that Kaho said that Ame told her that she saw you downtown?" she answered with something that sounded a lot like a question and it was filled with suspicion. I figured I was missing something here.

"Yeah, I was downtown, Ma. What are you trying to ask me?"

"Ame said you were with a girl."

_Jesus those women are nosey._

And what are the odds that out of all the women I've been with, the one they saw me with was Sakura?

"Yeah, Ma, I was with a girl. I was dropping her off."

"Oh," she said and then she got quiet for a minute to let that process. I heard the phone shift before she started again. "Ummm…Honey, why were you dropping her off at the women's shelter?"

_The what?_

"I was dropping her off at a friend's apart…" My sentence trailed off and heat filled my veins when I remembered watching Sakura run across the street.

I jerked upright on the couch.

_No_.

She'd lied? Why would she have lied?

_Shit!_

Had she only said she was staying with a friend because she was embarrassed? My heart started pounding harder and harder in my chest as the truth was sinking in. Son of a bitch, I was an idiot! And I'd been such an asshole to her.

"Sasuke?" Mom said in my ear and I jumped off the couch.

"Ma, you're my heart, you know that, but I gotta go. I think I just did something really fucked up."

"Language!" she snapped.

I groaned. "Sorry. I'll call you when I get back, all right?" I asked as I snatched my keys off the counter and headed for the door.

"Okay, but I want to meet her."

I sighed, closed the door behind me and jogged down the steps. "If I can convince her I'm not a total asshole, then you'll meet her."

"Sasuke, you really need to watch your language. She's going to think you're an asshole if you talk to her with such foul language."

Yeah right. Ma was only saying that because she hadn't heard Sakura's equally foul mouth.

I snorted. "Ma, _you _just said 'asshole'."

"I know, but I'm a mother, I can say whatever the hell I want."

I laughed as I made it to my truck, jumped inside, started it and reversed. "Ma, I'm driving now. I'll call you later."

"Okay, Honey, be careful. I love you."

"You're my heart, Ma."

"Bye, bye, Honey."

"Bye, Ma."

I flipped my phone shut.

It took twenty agonizing minutes to get to the shelter, and by the time I walked in the front door, I was shaking with frustration.

"Can I help you?" a lady, maybe early sixties, asked when she caught sight of me.

"Yes, I'm looking for a girl that came in about three hours ago. Her name is Sakura. Pink hair, about this tall." I held my hand up to my chest to describe Sakura's height. The lady's eyebrows rose as a small smile played on her lips.

"I'm pretty sure Sakura isn't a child," she said through a chuckle as her eyes glanced at my hand. I dropped it.

"Well, she's little," I muttered. "Do you know her?"

The lady nodded and said, "I know her, but I'm sorry, I can't tell you if she's here or not. We're not allowed to give out information on any of the women staying here, _if_ they're staying here."

I closed my eyes and rubbed a hand over my head and down my face. I had to see her and I knew she was here.

"Please don't make me wait here until she comes out, because I will. I know she's here, I dropped her off earlier. I just need to talk to her," I practically begged.

The lady stared at me for what felt like an eternity, until, finally, she sighed, walked around the counter she'd been standing behind, and walked away without a word.

I followed.

We walked down a wide hallway, passed a few office doors and then a glass window. I looked inside and stopped dead in my tracks. There she was. Sakura sitting in a room filled with other women, her arm was resting on the back of the chair next to her and her head was in her hand, eyes closed.

My chest compressed painfully at the sight.

"What's she doing in there?" I demanded to know, and I couldn't hide the disgust in my tone. I was disgusted with myself for being such an immature asshole.

The lady gasped and I faced her just as she spun around and breathed, "Oh my goodness you scared the bejesus out of me. You're not supposed to be back here."

"I'm sorry, but what's she doing in there?" I repeated my question, this time in a mere whisper. I watched as the lady's expression grew soft and her body visibly calmed.

"She's waiting to see a social worker so she can get a room, but she probably won't get one until tomorrow. She'll have to sleep on one of the cots in the main room until then."

I closed my eyes, sickened by the image.

As far as I was concerned, Sakura wasn't going to be seeing this place again, much less sleeping on a fuckin' cot.

**Sakura Haruno**

"Sakura Haruno," I heard my name called out and I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking four hours was the quickest I'd ever been called. I sat up and saw Mrs. Narukazawa standing in the doorway, so I stood up, grabbed my suitcases and headed toward her.

I smiled. "Well that was fast."

She smiled back. "Sorry, Sakura, it's not for a room. There's actually someone here to see you."

I frowned. I hadn't been able to get hold of Sai, so nobody knew where I was. I walked out of the doorway, turned the corner and saw him.

I froze.

I was tired, I was hungry, and the way he was looking at me made me want to cry.

_He came back_.

He looked beautiful standing there, tall and broad, handsome and masculine, his black eyes glowing with knowledge and curiosity…maybe even pity, but he still took my breath away. His stance owned the room, and his body radiated strength and control. I was positive he'd charmed Mrs. Narukazawa off her feet.

However, he'd hurt me. He'd kissed me and then said it was a mistake. I'd already known I'd never had a chance with someone like him, but he'd jumped to conclusions about me, about Sai, and he'd hurt me.

And I was so damn tired of being hurt.

I walked to him and sat my suitcases at my feet. You couldn't let your possessions out of your sight in a place like this or else they'd disappear.

"What are you doing here, Sasuke?" I asked softly as I looked up at him.

"I want you to come home with me," he said softly.

My brows met, I opened my mouth, closed it, opened it and closed it again before whispering, "What?"

"You heard me, Sakura. Had I known I'd dropped you off at a shelter, I would've come sooner. In fact, I never would have let you out of the goddamn truck."

I raised a brow at the bold statement. "Well, I seem to remember you practically kicking me out of your truck." I shrugged and his expression changed from frustration to fury.

"You told me you were staying with another guy. It pissed me off," he admitted.

"No!" I said sarcastically. "I'm not stupid, Sasuke. If you would have let me speak while we were having this conversation earlier, I would have told you that Sai is my best friend… my _gay _best friend. We grew up together in the system and he's like my big brother."

"But you still lied about staying with him and I didn't like it...I was jealous," he muttered the last part and my eyes widened. He was jealous?

"Why would you be jealous? You don't even know me," I whispered.

"I don't know, Freckles." He sighed. "I've been asking myself that same question."

We both stood there staring at each other, saying nothing.

Stalemate.

Then, Sasuke took a step toward me and I inhaled a sharp breath. He lifted his hands and framed my face, letting his thumbs caress my cheeks.

"What do you want from me?" I asked on an exhale.

"Stay with me," he rumbled low and deep. "I won't touch you unless you want me to—"

"You're touching me now," I pointed out and he grinned. I rolled my eyes and sighed. He was trouble with a capital T, font size one hundred, italicized, bolded and underlined.

"Okay, after this. If you stay with me, I won't touch you unless you ask me to. I'm starting the academy tomorrow and won't be home during most of the day. I'm not sure what your schedule at the university is, and I know you said you work, so you can stay at my place as long as you need to. I'll give you a key so you can come and go as you please. If you find an apartment later and want to move out, that's up to you, but at least stay with me in the meantime."

"I don't need pity, Sasuke. I manage well on my own," I said, not feeling insulted, nor trying to insult him, just stating a fact.

"It's not fuckin' pity, Sakura. I like you and I'm asking you to stay with me," he growled.

It was pity and I knew it, but oddly, he made me feel wanted. The offer sounded better than I could have imagined, but I also knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Honestly, I couldn't even believe I was considering it.

I didn't know him, but I had nothing to lose…except my virginity, but I wasn't easy and he'd already been with Karin, which meant he liked his women easy. So, he'd be dating…would he bring women home with him? Would I be able to handle it if he did?

My heart sank at the thought.

"Me staying with you might mess up your playboy status," I informed him. "Will you at least warn me before you bring a woman home with you?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously and he growled, "I wouldn't do that to you while you're in my place."

I didn't let my flinch show. He wouldn't do anything while I was there, but he would when I wasn't?

I hoped not. I kinda liked him, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

"If I agree, will you at least promise to warn me?"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I promise."

"And I'll give you some money for rent," I added and his hands fell away to his sides.

"No. No money."

"I won't go with you unless I can give you money."

He shook his head. "I won't take your money."

I nodded, bent down and picked up my suitcases.

"Fine!" he barked as I turned, and a tight grasp around my upper arm pulled me to a stop. I looked at my arm and then slowly up at Sasuke's face. I gave his hand another pointed look indicating with my eyes that I'd break every single one of his fingers if he didn't let me go.

"You have got to be the most infuriating woman I've ever met," he muttered, sighed and let go of my arm to take the suitcases from me. "Give me whatever money you want if it'll make you feel better, but I won't use it. If you leave, I'll just give it back."

"It's _when _I leave, not _if_, and I won't let you give it back."

"Sakura, just be quiet so we can get the hell out of here," Sasuke snapped.

"Don't tell me to be quiet and don't ever grab me again, or I'll drown your little swimmers with my foot," I snapped back.

He was so fast I never saw him coming.

He dropped one suitcase, bent at the waist, rammed his elbow into my stomach and picked me up over his shoulder all while still holding the other suitcase.

"Oh my God!" I screamed as he spun around. He bent at the knees and my head hovered over the suitcase he just dropped.

"Sakura, Baby, do me a favor and pick up your suitcase please. My hands are full of a whole lotta crazy at the moment."

I gasped before shouting, "You're the crazy one!"

He ignored me.

"Mrs. Narukazawa, ma'am, would you mind opening the door for me? It seems Sakura is no longer in need of that room," Sasuke said to the shelter secretary, who I hadn't realized was even in the room. I had to blow the hair out of my face so I could see, and I saw right away that her gaze was locked on us, her face filled with adoration.

_Oh no._

"I knew you sweet talked her!" I shouted at Sasuke before addressing the secretary. "Don't do it, Mrs. Narukazawa!"

She smiled sweetly at me as she walked around the front desk and headed for the front door. "I'd pick up my suitcase if I were you, Sweetie. Somehow, I don't think he'll have a problem leaving it behind," she said.

I gaped at her.

"Unbelievable," I hissed as I grabbed my suitcase, with one hand because the other hand held Sasuke's shirt in a death grip. He walked out the front door with a kind, "Thank you," to Mrs. Narukazawa and I lifted my head to glare at her.

Her smile grew bigger.

_Why weren't my silent threats working?_

"You better not drop me or I'll kick your gigantic ass," I growled and Sasuke had the audacity to laugh as he walked down the sidewalk.

"As my mother would say...Language! And to think she thought you'd be shocked by my foul mouth."

"Oh my God! You told your mother about me?"

"Nope, one of her nosey friends saw me dropping you off. Ma called wanting to know why I brought a woman to the women's shelter...small world."

"Yeah, small world," I mocked him.

"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura…I always get what I want. You should just give up and give in now."

"Like hell!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Eleven**

Six Weeks Later

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Like hell indeed.

She was doing this shit on purpose. Had to be. There was no other explanation.

She was wearing a scrap of black material that clung to her in all the right places and barely covered her ass. The front was cut into a U, and hung so low that I could throw a penny between her breast and they'd catch it. Of course, in that dress, I'd give her all the fuckin' money in my checking account, but that was beside the point.

If she bent over, her girls would fall out.

On her feet, she wore black, shiny high heels that gave her about four inches, making her at least five-seven...still tiny. Her wavy pink hair was wild, her lips were a few shades darker than usual, and her eyes were highlighted with makeup.

All she needed was some gel and a white guitar.

I looked around the room. Surely, Robert Palmer was going to jump out singing "Addicted to Love". He just had to, because this was either a dream, or my worst fuckin' nightmare.

And her dumbass best friend, Sai, had the nerve to call the thing she was wearing a dress!

"Bellissimo!" Sai had said as he kissed the air when Sakura walked out of my…no, her bedroom. Fucker wasn't even Spanish…or Italian…or whatever the fuck.

There was nothing to the damn thing!

And how I got wrangled into playing designated driver for her, Sai, and his boyfriend Sasori, I'd never fuckin' know. They weren't even of age, but Sai and Sasori had devised some sort of plan to get drinks in the place. I'd make sure they were okay, but I wasn't worried about them. Sakura, on the other hand, wasn't touching a drop of alcohol.

Scratch that, I knew how I got wrangled into this. It was those big green doe-eyes. One look and I'd give her whatever she wanted. Plus, there was no way in hell I was letting her go out, looking like she did, without me there to protect her. Sai was big, but not half as big as me. He cared, but I cared more.

Clubs. I hated 'em. They were nothing but drama and I didn't dance, which was exactly why I never went. Bars, I was down, but never clubs.

And now I had this shit to deal with…Sakura…dressed to kill…probably me.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Her beaming smile fell away and her eyes traveled from Sai to me.

"Excuse me?" she asked in shock.

"Clothes, Sakura. I know you own some—hell, they take up half my room - so why aren't you wearing any?"

She glanced at Sai again, who was shaking his head at me, but I didn't give a shit. She belonged to me, not him.

Well, she hadn't been mine fully yet, but…

Semantics.

"What's your problem, Sasuke?"

"That thing you're wearing is my problem, Sakura."

She glanced down at herself. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

_You're making my dick throb. I'm probably gonna have to kick someone's ass tonight and I'm gonna try really hard to fuck you later... that's what._

"Nothing, Love," Sai said. "You look absolutely stunning! Trust me. Count the number of men that tell you the exact same thing tonight and let me know the total when we get back." He faced me and narrowed his eyes. "Isn't that right, cop dude?"

"Hell no," I growled. "Nobody's gonna get close enough to talk to her."

Sai shook his head and sighed. "Sasuke, I get it, I really do, but you suck at compliments. And why, oh why, do I find that whole growly thing so hot?" Sai said to the room, and as a whole, we rolled our eyes, even Sasori.

"She gets into any trouble tonight, it's your ass," I warned.

"When she doesn't get into any trouble tonight, because you're going to be all over her like peanut butter to jelly, you can kiss mine. I'll even bend over," Sai retorted.

"Uh, hello! I'm in the fucking room," Sakura shouted.

"Language, Freckles!" I shouted back in outrage and then I looked at her. _Looked. At._ _Her_. "Actually…you know what? Keep saying 'Fuck' in that dress, but only around me," I decided and she let out an annoyed huff.

Two hours later, I was no happier than when we left the apartment.

I'd wanted to spend time with Sakura tonight. I'd known it was going to be hard with the cock-blocking duo around, but being in a loud club made it near impossible. I'd been working and studying so hard for the academy, and she's been so busy with school and her part-time job, we hadn't really had to have _the talk _like I wanted.

Hell, my mom probably knew Sakura better than I did. They even talked on the fuckin' phone like best girlfriends. They even had plans for lunch and a movie and I was fuckin' jealous.

Of my Mom!

I really needed a drink.

Six weeks.

She'd been living with me for six weeks. At week two, she found an apartment, but I wouldn't let her take it and threatened to lock all her clothes up in my truck if she tried to leave. At week three, she tried to leave, but failed again. At week four, she gave me money for her portion of the rent and I took it. I didn't even count it, just put it in my dresser and told her where it was if she needed it.

I'd never touch it.

Fact was, I didn't want her to leave. I liked having her around and I wanted more. She was only eighteen, which freaked me the fuck out, but at least she was legal. And in a few months, she'd be nineteen.

I turned in my seat and saw Sakura with Sai and Sasori. She was sandwiched between them dancing her ass off and I wanted to tear something apart–preferably Sai's limbs from his body. I was even jealous of him!

It wasn't that Sakura didn't give me hints. I knew she wanted me and I probably wouldn't have to try hard to get her underneath me, but I wanted it to be her decision. The first day I brought her home –or technically the second day—I'd promised her I wouldn't touch her unless she wanted me to and I hadn't. Shit, she was sleeping in my bed and I was sleeping on the couch.

Though, five times—I'd counted—she'd asked me to sleep with her because she had a bad dream, but that's all we did. I'd held her tight and we'd slept. Only slept. I'd hated it and loved it at the same time because waking up next to her had been torture. Every time, her body had been wrapped around mine, her head had rested on my chest, the smell of coconut had filled my nose, my arms had held her tight, her leg had been thrown over mine, and her sweet spot had pressed against my thigh.

My dick twitched thinking about it.

Not touching her had been the hardest thing I'd ever done in my goddamn life, and six weeks without a woman made it worse.

"Hey, this seat taken?" I heard asked to my right and I shook my head as I continued to stare at Sakura. When something brushed my arms, I looked over and all I saw was blonde, pink and sparkles.

_Fuck._

I didn't know her, but I didn't have to. She had "any which way you want it" written all over her.

"I'm Shei, what's your name?" she asked and then stuck out her hand.

"Sasuke," I grumbled and shook it to be polite. She was pretty, before Sakura, I'd probably have thought beautiful, but now I knew better.

"So, you here alone, Sasuke?"

I sighed and looked back toward the dance floor.

_Was I here alone?_

Technically, yes.

Sakura was laughing, probably at something Sai said, and her eyes hit mine, but they skittered away a second later. She wrapped her arms around Sai's neck and whispered in his ear.

I wanted to be that fuckin' ear.

"Depends on what you define as alone," I muttered stupidly, my eyes still on Sakura. Then, both Sakura and Sai glanced at me and neither one of them looked happy.

I frowned. Was she jealous? Would this make her hurry the fuck up and let me have her?

"I think you answered my question," my neighbor purred so close to my ear I snapped my head back.

"What?" I asked, momentarily distracted, and then I felt her hand hit my knee. I felt it sliding upward and I didn't stop her, thinking a quick bit of jealousy might spur Sakura on. Then sparkles grinned and brought her face closer to mine.

"I have VIP access. We can go upstairs if you want…get to know each other better…"

Amazing to think that before Sakura, I'd have taken her up on that offer in an instant.

I glanced to the dance floor and Sakura was staring at me, frozen. When our eyes locked, she glanced away and my gut clenched.

I was just about to tell sparkles thanks but no thanks when a hand turned my face and lips hit mine. It didn't even last a second, before I shoved her off and she stumbled.

"You asshole!" she shouted, and I wiped my mouth in disgust.

"Learn some fuckin' manners," I barked at her and stood. I turned to the dance floor, but Sakura and the guys were gone.

_Fuck... Fuck!_

How could things have gone so bad so fast?

I took off, searching for them, but they were nowhere on the dance floor. I scanned the bar area, but they weren't there either. I walked to the back, toward the restrooms, where I found Sai and Sasori waiting in the hall—outside the women's restroom.

I exhaled audibly, relieved to know that Sakura was okay.

"She in there?" I asked Sai, lifting my chin to indicate the restroom, but he refused to look at me.

Or answer me.

"Sai!" I called out thinking he couldn't hear me over the music, but again, nothing, and he was pouting like a child.

"Sai, what the fuck? Is she in there?" I barked.

"Yeah, she's in there, dude," Sasori answered instead and I glared at him, but he wouldn't look at me either.

I swiped a hand over my head and down my face. She saw. They all saw.

Decision made, I stalked forward, heard Sai snap, "You can't go in there," as I pushed open the door to the restroom.

There were three women at the sinks, but only one of them was Sakura. She was leaning over washing her hands. When her eyes caught mine in the mirror, they registered her horror.

She spun around.

"Are you crazy?" she asked, exasperated. "What are you doing in here?" She quickly glanced at the two other chicks that I could see out of the corner of my eyes were gawking at me, but I kept going until I was staring down at her.

I got so close my chest pressed against hers, but she wouldn't fuckin' look at me either.

Fine. I knew exactly how to get her attention. I gripped her hips—she let out a shriek—I lifted her and sat her ass on the counter.

"I can't believe you just did that!" she snapped in my face, which was exactly why I was able to spot the hurt lingering behind her seething green eyes. And that was it, another decision made...

I was done with giving her time.

I gripped her knees, spread her thighs, stepped between them and let my mouth catch her protest.

I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulled her mouth closer, needing more. She whimpered against my lips and I felt her hands grip my arms.

Her nails dug in to hold on.

Our tongues tangled and we devoured each other.

Her low moans spurred me on and my hands came out of her hair and dropped down to cup her ass. I pressed closer, ground my hips against hers and groaned.

_So fuckin' good._

She wrapped her legs around my waist and rubbed herself against me. My hands came off her ass to slide up her smooth thighs and under the edge of her dress.

I needed to feel more. I needed to feel her to fall apart in my hands_._

My thumbs were at the juncture between her thighs...so fuckin' close...I groaned...she threw her arms around my neck and pressed closer.

"Jesus," I breathed in her mouth at the exact moment someone cleared their throat.

Sakura wrenched her mouth from mine and twisted her neck, so fast I thought it might snap. I squeezed my already closed eyes painfully tight and dropped my forehead to her shoulder. I felt her move, but I tightened my fingers on her thighs to keep her in place.

"I must admit to enjoying the show, but someone just went to call security," I heard Sai say through a chuckle and Sakura's body tensed.

"Oh my God," she whispered, her tone filled with anxiety and I didn't like it.

"Get the fuck out of here, Sai!" I ordered without looking at him.

**Sakura Haruno**

_What did I just do?_

My thoughts were all over the place and Sasuke was breathing hard against my neck. I wanted Sasuke, no question about that, but when I saw that bitch touching him at the bar, I'd been livid. And then I saw them kiss and my heart broke. Then he stormed in here and kissed me like his life depended on it, which pissed me off.

I was angry and confused and upset and my hormones were kicked in to overdrive.

"Let me down, Sasuke, before someone walks in and catches us like this," I hurried, pushing at his shoulders.

He lifted his head off my shoulder and stared down at me, but he didn't move. If anything, the thumbs between my thighs pressed deeper and I looked away from him, so he wouldn't see the desperation on my face.

I was on fire for him and I wanted to scoot closer to his fingers.

"You were upset. I want to know why," he asked, low and dangerous.

I shrugged, but refused to answer.

"Sakura, I already know, but I want to hear you say it," he demanded and I took a deep breath.

_Arrogant bastard_.

"Sasuke, can we talk about this later," I tried and then moved to push him back again, but he didn't budge.

"The faster you tell me, the faster I'll let you up."

"Fine! I didn't like seeing that another woman's hands on you. I saw the kiss and it made me sick to my stomach, which pissed me off because I know I have no right to feel that way," I admitted in a rush.

His brow met in confusion. "Why don't you have that right?"

"What do you mean—" I'd started, but he didn't let me finish.

"Why Sakura?" he asked in a tone that commanded me to answer him.

"You're such a jerk for making me say it out loud," I whispered. "Because I want you and you don't want me back. Happy now?" I was a pity case for him. I wasn't stupid.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, but I continued, "Will you let me down now?"

"You fuckin' kidding me?" he asked as he released my thighs from his grip.

I didn't know how to answer that, but he sounded mad now. "No, Sasuke, I'm not _fuckin' kidding you_...whatever that means."

He stared at me, but I couldn't hold his eyes.

I looked down at my lap until he tapped me on the side of my head with his index finger. When he spoke, his voice was soft. "What in the hell is going on up here, Baby?"

A shiver ran down my spine. I loved it when he called me Baby. In the beginning, it had been Babe, but I'd put a stop to that and I'd done it quick-like. I didn't appreciate being called something so generic. But when he called me Baby or Freckles...generic or not, they made me feel...special.

_I'm such a sucker._

Still, I didn't answer him.

He sighed, lifted me off the counter and set me on my feet. I tugged at my dress and set it to rights, just as the door swung open and security walked in.

"I need to throw you out?" the man asked threateningly.

"Nope, we're done here," Sasuke responded, grabbed my hand, laced our fingers and pulled me behind him. We walked out the door, passed by Sai and Sasori, whom were still waiting outside, and then we headed outside the club.

"We're leaving already?" Sai whined from behind me and Sasuke didn't hesitate.

"Sakura and I are leaving. We got shit to discuss. You and Sasori want to stay, let me know and I'll come back for you later. Your choice," he finished, and our steps never faltered.

"Sasuke, we don't have to ruin their night," I chided, but all that got me was a glare.

I heard Sasori and Sai talking quickly and quietly, until they finally decided, "We'll go back with you."

We got to the truck, Sasuke unlocked the doors and held mine open for me like a gentleman.

A stupid jerkoff gentleman.

As soon we pulled up outside Sasuke's apartment, I jumped out of the truck and let Sai and Sasori out of the back. When I slammed the door shut, Sai pulled me in to his embrace

"We're going back to Sasori's place," he said in my ear and when I opened my mouth to protest he spoke over me. "Talk to him, Sakura. He's crazy about you. I'll call you tomorrow."

He gave me a swift kiss on the forehead and let me go.

"Bye, Sakura," Sasori said through a small smile as he and Sai started walking away. When they got in Sai's car and took off, I just stood there in a daze staring after the taillights. I didn't want to talk to Sasuke. I was dreading it.

I was also embarrassed by my tacky display on the counter in the women's restroom of a club.

But when I felt a hand engulf mine, I knew I didn't have a choice but to talk.

I turned and followed as Sasuke walked down the sidewalk and up the stairs.

Inside the apartment, Sasuke led me straight through the living room to the bedroom and my heart thudded against my chest. My palms were starting to sweat, but luckily he let me go and faced me, but I couldn't read his expression. He walked closer, entered my personal space and touched my collarbone with his fingertips. They traveled down my chest, achingly slow, until they dipped into the front of my dress.

Chills broke out over my skin.

"Sasuke," I breathed.

"I like this dress," he rumbled, and his fingers elaborated just how much when they ran along my cleavage and back up my neck to wrap around.

"You didn't like this dress earlier," I muttered, frowning when I remembered how he'd shouted at me.

"That's because I didn't want anyone else to see you in it but me."

"Oh," I breathed again. "Well, why didn't you just say that?"

He sighed and changed the subject.

"You were upset earlier. Sai and Sasori were pissed at me and you threw attitude the moment I walked into that restroom. I know you saw the kiss, but I want to know why you were upset."

The nerve! I had been upset and I know he knew why, but he didn't have to rub it in. And now the image of him kissing the Barbie doll was back in my head. I considered lying, but there was no point.

"I don't know. I didn't like watching her touch you," I responded and his thumb swept across my bottom lip after I spoke, putting me in a daze.

"I didn't either. For a second, I thought I wanted to make you jealous, but I couldn't go through with it. She just kissed me before I could tell her to go away," he said, admitting to something, but I didn't understand.

"Why would you try to make me jealous?"

"Because I'm getting impatient and I'm not used to this, Sakura. I'm not use to working so damn hard to get something I want, especially with women."

I didn't even hide my flinch. His words cut deep.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was making you work at all."

"Sakura, I've never worked so hard for anything in my whole life."

That sounded horrible…miserable even. He'd done so much for me by letting me stay here and I appreciated it so damn much, but I guess I hadn't been paying close enough attention. I hadn't realized I was such a burden for him. I could feel the tears burning behind my eyes, but I denied myself the release.

"I'll leave tomorrow," I decided, still trying to figure out where I'd messed up. I'd offered to move out; I'd given him what I could for rent and I cooked when I could—even though it sucked.

"What?" he gasped and I took a step back. His hand fell away from my neck and he scowled.

"I said, I'll leave tomorrow. I'm clearly a burden here, but in my defense, I warned you that I'd ruin your reputation. I'm sorry."

"Jesus," he hissed. "I didn't mean that the way you're taking it. I like that I have to work for you, Sakura. I like that you don't make things easy, because I appreciate you more. I don't give a shit about my reputation and I'm not out picking up chicks. Since I've met you, I haven't wanted to. You're not fuckin' leaving."

"Well I'm not staying just because you feel sorry for me!"

He shook his head and I was pretty damn sure he muttered, "Bitches be crazy."

"Is that what you think? That you're here because I feel sorry for you…that I pity you?"

I nodded with utter confidence. "Absolutely. That first day we met, you kissed me, and afterward, you said it'd been a mistake before dropping me off without a backward glance."

"Sakura—" he growled.

"No! The only reason you came back for me is because you found out I was staying in a shelter and you felt guilty. I'm not stupid, Sasuke. I got that then and I get it even more so now—"

"How the hell can I feel sorry for a woman who's so goddamn hard headed? There's nothing to feel sorry for, Sakura! I know you can live on your own. I know you don't need or want my help...BUT I FUCKIN' WANT YOU! _Just you_! That first day, I left because I thought Sai was something different to you and I was pissed, but I was planning on sitting outside that building every night until I saw you again!"

_Oh. My. God._

He paused, took a deep breath and continued, "I don't want you to leave me. I don't want you sleeping in this room while I'm on the couch. I want to help you, because I can. I want to help you, because I want you with me all the fuckin' time. And when the time comes that you do need somebody, I want that somebody to be _me _and not that fuckhead Sai! And something else…the only reason I haven't touched you, is because I promised you I wouldn't until you gave me the okay, but now that this bullshit's out of the way, you can bet your sweet ass you belong to me now!" he roared, and the neighbors pounded on the wall for us to shut up.

I closed my eyes.

It was such a relief to know he didn't feel sorry for me, but this was insane. We hardly knew each other and we were already fighting like a married couple.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Sasuke," I admitted softly, before opening my eyes. "I've never had a boyfriend and you scare me."

"Back at you, Baby," he muttered without hesitation.

I swallowed hard, still trying to keep my tears in check, and then I admitted, "I like it when you call me Baby...and Freckles."

"I know. Your body relaxes every time I say it and I like to watch," he responded.

When I muttered, "arrogant bastard" under my breath, he grinned. I sighed. "I don't like fighting with you," I said somberly and Sasuke's grin vanished.

"That wasn't fighting," he stated matter-of-fact, but he sulked like a little boy being sent to the time-out chair.

"Sasuke, we were fighting. We always fight."

"This isn't fighting, Freckles. This is us."

_Oh shit. That was really, really sweet._

The tears I'd been holding back filled my eyes.

…**How was it? Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	12. Chapter 12

**UPDATE! It's only a short one, I figured I'll just upload it with the other two chapters...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twelve**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

"I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry..." she repeated over and over as she looked up at the ceiling, blinking fast.

I frowned. She was gonna cry? What the hell did I say wrong now? I thought on that for a second…

Nope, nothing. I hadn't said anything to make her cry. But she looked like she was going to cry. I couldn't even get past the fact that she _knew _how to cry.

"Sakura, what—" I started, but when she faced me, I slammed my mouth shut. Her eyes were bright and glassy with unshed tears, her cheeks were flushed and her nose was pink.

Oh no...Oh shit...

_Shit_!

Panic! That had to be what I was feeling, that painful constricting in my chest.

_What the hell did I do with a weepy woman_?

But looking at her sweet, sad, yet vulnerable face, I realized I'd rather slit my own throat than see her cry. On instinct, I reached out, yanked her against my body, wrapped her in my arms and buried my face in her neck. I took a deep breath and the familiar scent of coconut calmed me instantly.

_What is she doing to me_?

"Baby, I don't know what's goin' through that pretty head of yours, but you're killin' me here."

I felt her breasts press further into my chest as she inhaled.

"I want you," she breathed against my ear and I stiffened.

"That's why you're crying?" My voice was hoarse.

"I'm not crying. I just have no idea what I'm doing, but I've never wanted anything or anybody as much as I want you," she finished and my arms around her tightened as I closed my eyes and let her words wash over me. I touched my lips to the crease between her neck and shoulder, allowing my mouth to savor her skin as my body savored her words.

"Freckles, you have no idea. I've been going crazy wanting you," I growled.

I felt her shudder.

"Then do it," she whispered and pulled back to stare up at me. Her gaze was unwavering and her dark green eyes captured mine. I wanted to tell her that she didn't have to do this, that I'd wait until she was sure—which of course, I would—but fuck that. She was about to be mine, and whether it was now or later, that wouldn't make a difference.

I stood motionless as she kicked off one heel, dropped to her bare foot and then kicked off the other. She was tiny, but sexy as sin. She gripped the dress at her shoulder and pulled her arm through. Then, she did the same to the other side, and before I knew it, she shimmied out of the scrap of material and stood in a black lacy bra and matching panties. My mouth watered and I was rock hard just looking at her.

I've always known, but nothing she's ever worn did her body justice. Not even the painted on dress she just took off. I've seen her perfect hourglass figure in jeans, shorts, dresses, t-shirts, tanks...even my clothes, but seeing her in the nude was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. And I knew it was because Sakura actually meant something to me.

The strings of her panties outlined the curves of her hips just right. The cups of her bra only hugged half of her full breasts. Her ass was round, her stomach was flat, and she was thick in all the right places.

I shifted my dick in my pants.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at me?" she asked quietly, bringing me out of my stupefied daze.

"Hell, no," I replied, not even recognizing my own voice.

I needed to touch her and I needed to touch her now. I ripped the shirt over my head, kicked off my shoes and shrugged off my jeans in record time. This left me in my boxer briefs, which was exactly where Sakura's wide eyes were trained, and I watched her throat move as she swallowed hard. When I took a step closer, her eyes hit mine and I saw the fear in them.

I rested my hands on her hips and her chest rose and fell faster.

"You sure about this, Sakura? It's gonna happen anyway, but we won't do this if you're not ready now." My chest filled with anxiety at the possibility she'd say no.

"I'm ready. As long as you're sure it's only me."

I frowned.

"Care to explain?"

"I mean..." She took a deep breath and licked her lips nervously. "...I want to be the only one, Sasuke. If you get tired of me or find someone else, you can let me go, and I'll go. But while we're doing this, please don't touch anyone else. Don't hurt me like that."

I closed my eyes at the fear in her tone. It hurt, but it also melted my heart. When I opened them, I cupped her cheek, bent and touched my lips to hers. I kissed her once...twice...before resting my forehead on hers.

"You didn't have to tell me that. I'll never hurt you. I'm gonna piss you off and screw up—it's inevitable—but I promise I'll never hurt you that way, Baby." I kissed her sweet lips once more.

She nodded and sighed.

"Thank you," she whispered.

I pulled away.

I couldn't wait any longer. "Sakura, get in bed before I take you standing up right where you are."

She gave me a hesitant smile, but it was soft and her eyes sparkled. The moment she turned, my eyes landed on her voluptuous ass, and I watched it walk to the bed and climb in. I followed and laid down beside her as she laid on her back. Her head turned toward me.

"I'm a virgin," she admitted quietly and I bit my tongue to keep from grinning.

"Yeah, Freckles, it's pretty obvious, but I'm glad you spelled it out for me."

Her eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. "You know, no one likes a know-it-all."

My smile broke free.

"You do," I retorted as my hand hit her bare stomach. It tensed and she turned away from me to look at the ceiling. I trailed my fingers up her stomach and over her bra but they didn't dip inside.

Her whole body stiffened.

"Look at me," I ordered and when she did, I continued. "Don't be nervous. It's just us here. You and me. I'll go slow."

"Have you done this a lot?" she asked, and it was my turn to freeze.

"Have I done what a lot?" I asked and held my breath.

She rolled her eyes, but she looked really uncomfortable.

"Taken a girl's virginity. You sound like a pro and I don't know if I should be upset or glad that you know what to do."

I relaxed, reached for her hand and laced my fingers with hers. "This is the only question about other chicks that I'm gonna answer in this bed, Sakura. No, I've never taken a girl's virginity."

"Really?" she asked, her voice an octave higher than usual.

"Yeah, really. At least not that I know of, but I honestly never asked...or cared."

She gasped. "That's such an asshole thing to say. And you didn't ask me either."

I shrugged. "I didn't ask you, because I already knew the answer. And I might be an asshole, but you're the only one I've ever cared about."

She stared at me in disbelief and blinked a few times, before turning to look back at the ceiling. If I wasn't mistaken, her eyes watered.

"You better not fuckin' cry, Sakura," I growled, though I had no idea what I'd do if she did—I just knew I was desperate not to see her cry.

She sighed. "How is it you can say something so sweet, and be a jerk at the exact same time? And the scary part...why do I like it so much?"

I shifted, crawled over her, spread her legs with my knees and put my face in hers. I held myself up by my elbows and forearms, framed her face with my hands and told her, "Breathe, Sakura."

She closed her eyes and exhaled audibly.

"Nuh- uh, let me see those beautiful eyes, Baby." I pushed gently and as soon as I saw green, I laid it all out. "This is me. I'm an asshole. I'm a jerk. I say the wrong thing at the wrong time. I always have and always will...but, Freckles, you're the only woman that will get me. Do you understand?"

When she nodded, I continued, "From now on, we're an _us _until one of us wants out, which I'll warn you, is gonna be a long way away...if at all. Deal?"

She licked her lips and it took everything in my power to resist licking them too.

"Deal," she breathed an eternity later, wrapped her hands around the back of my head and pulled me to her. I slanted my head and kissed her. She opened for me, ready and willing, and we stayed like that, kissing soft and slow, taking our time, our lips learning each other, our mouths committing the feel to memory…until I knew she was ready for more.

I broke away, only for as fast as it took me to remove her bra, panties and my boxers. I didn't know the proper protocol for taking virginity, but Sakura was nervous and I didn't want to push her too far or make her feel uncomfortable.

But I did get in one long fuckin' look.

"Jesus," I whispered, looking down at her body in awe. Never have I seen anything more beautiful. She moved to cover herself, but I put a stop to it, fast.

"Don't. It's just us in this room, Sakura. You and me. And you're the most beautiful creature I've ever seen in my life."

"Thank you," she whispered, but doubt still lingered in her eyes and I could practically hear her heart beating faster. Something about her genuine nerves and her worrying about what I thought of her looks, pierced my heart. Her open vulnerability was playing a number on my emotions.

"You're gonna ruin me, Sakura. I just know you are." I shook my head, resigned to that fact.

I reached into the nightstand, grabbed a condom, set it on the bed and caressed her body with my hands. I felt her heart pounding against my chest and I took her mouth with mine. I tasted her until I felt her relax.

That is when I started to move against her in preparation.

I worked my hips against hers and her breathing hitched, but she didn't protest. I put my hands on her body, caressed her, rubbed her, comforted her until she was begging for more, and rubbing herself against me.

I was in heaven.

"Your skin is so soft," I mumbled against her neck, kissing her and nipping her there.

"Sasuke, please. Just rip the Band-Aid off already," she whined. I smiled, lifted, grabbed the condom and readied myself.

Her eyes watched me with interest the entire time.

"No way am I rushing this, Baby." She opened her mouth to respond, but I reached between our bodies, touched the juncture between her thighs and her mouth snapped shut. I worked her over with my hand until she was fisting the sheets and calling out my name.

A second later, she belonged to me.

Completely.

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hi! Yeah, I said it already before that the characters are Not in their usually known behaviors  so please quit asking why do they act like that... Hmm, oh well. Another two chapters! Hope you'll like 'em!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Six Months Later

**Sakura Haruno**

"What the fuck do you mean you're not going back?" Sasuke roared at me and I cowered. Well, that hadn't gone like I'd hoped.

"Sasuke, watch your mouth! I taught you better than to talk like that in front of ladies," Ms. Uchiha shouted in my defense and I flinched again. She wasn't helping the matter. "I asked her not to do it, but she wouldn't listen."

_Shit!_

"Sasuke—" I started and his death glare turned on me.

"What do you mean you dropped out? I helped pay for half this semester already and I don't just have money to throw around. Explain right the fuck now, Sakura," he growled, looking more than ready to explode. He was breathing hard; the muscles in his arms were bulging, as were the veins in his neck.

"Ummm…if you'll calm down, I'll explain, but you're scaring me," I said softly.

"Cut the shit, Sakura," he snapped.

"Sasuke, shut your dang mouth and let her talk," Ms. Uchiha cut in and Sasuke said nothing, but I could almost hear his teeth grinding.

"Kaho can't take your mom to dialysis or her doctor appointments anymore. She told me yesterday." With that, Sasuke's death glare turned on his mom, who glared equally deathly right back, before his eyes came back to me.

"It's only for this semester, until we figure something else out. I'll keep working part time, but the travel agency's flexible. Instead of school, I'll take over and help your mom." I wanted to do this. I had to. She was the closest to a mom I'd ever had and I needed her. I needed her and Sasuke both, and he was so mad at me I wanted to cry.

"That's it? That's all you have to say?" he urged and I took a shuddering breath.

"Yes."

"So, you make the decision to drop out of school without even talking to me first. We're both out a couple thousand dollars because of your stupid decision. And we're just going to figure something else out?" he asked deceptively quiet.

I said nothing in return, but I didn't appreciate being talked to like a child.

"No. It's not happening, Sakura. Go back to the counselor and fix whatever you messed up," he ordered. "I'll figure out something else."

"But I want to do this—"

"Well she's not your mom, so stay the fuck out of it!" he shouted and all the blood drained from my face as my heart broke into a million pieces. His words cut me so deeply, I worried my blood would spill out on the floor. Tears flooded my eyes and spilled over my lashes.

"Son—" Ms. Uchiha started, but he continued.

"She's my mom and my responsibility…not yours, so go back to school."

I stood in the middle of the living room feeling lost and devastated, like I was drowning. I couldn't understand why he was so furious. I've never seen him so angry. I glanced at Ms. Uchiha through my tears and she looked completely dumbfounded, and maybe a little embarrassed, but I didn't know if it was embarrassment for me or her.

"She's my mom too," I choked out so quietly I knew nobody heard, and it was confirmed when Sasuke snapped, "What?"

I took a deep breath to help strengthen my voice, but I changed my mind and I turned to walk away.

"Sakura–"

"Sakura, Sweetie," Ms. Uchiha called out simultaneously with Sasuke, just as I opened the front door. I turned, glanced at her quickly and gave her a sad excuse for a smile, before facing Sasuke.

I didn't even bother hiding my tears.

"She's like my mom too, Sasuke," I said, barely above a whisper and Sasuke jerked his head to the side like he'd been slapped. I didn't care. He hurt me, and I was pretty sure what had just happened between us was an ending.

It was too cruel to be considered anything else.

"She's treated me like a daughter since she met me and I wanted to do this for her. Not just for her, but for me. I needed it…" I cried and took another deep breath to keep going. "…You, your mom and Sai are the only family I have. You've always had your mom, so you'll never know how it feels to have no one."

"Baby—" he started, but I shook my head.

"You were right. I should have talked to you first, before making what you call a stupid decision, but I thought I was doing it for family." I watched Sasuke close his eyes as if in pain.

"I'm sorry. I guess I was just so desperate for a family that I was fighting for whatever scraps got tossed my way." I looked at Ms. Uchiha who was staring at me with tears raining down her face. I'd never told either one of them, but I decided it was now or never.

"I love you both," I whispered.

And then I ran.

I heard Sasuke shouting my name and I knew I wouldn't get far, but I had to try. I had to do something, go somewhere. But just as I'd expected, an arm wrapped around my waist and lifted me off the ground as soon as my feet touched the bottom of the stairs. When Sasuke was fully on the sidewalk, he put me on my feet.

"I'm sorry…I'm so fuckin' sorry, Sakura...Please." I felt him bury his face in my hair and I heard him take a deep breath, something he always did when he got upset. I always thought it was sweet, but I was numb to it now. I didn't move. There was no point.

"I didn't mean what I said. Please come back inside so we can talk," he pleaded.

"Fuck you, Sasuke," I hissed.

"I'm sorry, Baby. I swear I didn't mean it."

"You meant what you said, or else you wouldn't have said it at all," I snapped and his arms tightened painfully. "Sasuke, let me go. I don't want to be around you right now."

"You love my mom, my mom loves you and I love that. You want my mom...she's yours. I'm not in the picture, she's still yours. I swear to God, I didn't mean what I said. I just had a lot of other shit on my mind. I wanna be able to give you more, Sakura. Things you never had. I want us to move out of this shit apartment, but it's hard right now. I can only pick up so many extra jobs and still manage to spend time with you...which is all I wanna do. I've only been content with how we live because you've been going to school, and now you're not even gonna be doing that."

"You're hurting me," I breathed when his arms started cutting off my air supply. He let me go. I turned, faced him, and hated that he looked so damn good in his police uniform, but his expression was that of pure misery and regret.

"I have never asked you for anything, Sasuke. Not your money, not to live with you, not the fucking new truck that you make me drive because, according to you, it's safer than your old one...not one thing. I work too. I'm not dependent on you and never will be. All I wanted was you, but now I'm not so sure I want to be with someone who can talk to me the way you just did."

His entire body stiffened and his eyes widened. "What?" he asked in a painful whisper.

I didn't respond, because the anxiety in his voice hurt. I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed hard. He swiped a hand over his head and down his face.

"But you love me. You said it...I heard you say it," he said, and it sounded an awful lot like an accusation.

"Yes, I love _this _Sasuke, not the Sasuke from two minutes ago. This Sasuke would never be so cruel. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to leave so I can think."

"No!" he stated in a panic, shaking his head. "What I said was fucked up, but I didn't mean it, Sakura. If you leave me, I'll follow you and bring you back."

I gasped. "I'm not leaving _you_; I'm leaving so I can think. I haven't decided anything."

"But you're going to think about leaving me," he replied softly and I didn't respond. I have never been spoken to or shouted at the way he'd shouted at me, and I honestly didn't know what to do. Suddenly, his hand was wrapped around my neck pulling me close. He dropped his forehead to mine and closed his eyes.

Tears were burning behind my eyes.

"I love you back," he said roughly. "This..." He reached for my hand, brought it to his chest and placed it right over his heart. When he opened his eyes and I saw they were glassy, I couldn't stop the sob that escaped my lips. "...is yours. It belongs to you just like you belong to me. I'm yours, my mom's yours, and in a few more years, we'll build our own family full of babies with freckles."

My body was trembling and I shook my head, not because I didn't want to hear it, but because it was something I'd always dreamed of, but I never thought would happen. And I was desperate for a family of my own.

"You're not fuckin' leaving me," he finished in a growl and I threw my arms around his neck. I crushed my lips to his and our mouths were greedy and frantic, and I kept kissing him until I couldn't breathe. When I broke away we were both panting.

"Don't ever talk to me that way again," I breathed.

He inhaled sharply. "I promise. I'm sorry."

"I love you," I told him.

"I know," he breathed back.

"Such an arrogant jerk," I muttered, glaring. His obsidian eyes sparkled as his lips tipped up into a grin. "Love you back, Freckles. My heart," he said low and deep, and I melted.

"Does this mean you two aren't breaking up?" I heard Ms. Uchiha ask and I looked back up the stairs as she started down them.

"No, Ma. We're not breaking up," Sasuke answered confidently, and she smiled. Then she made it to the bottom step and slapped Sasuke across the back of his head.

He ducked a little too late.

"Ma! What the hell?"

"I find out you talk to her like that one more time and I'll disown you, understand?" she scolded. "You sounded like my sperm donor upstairs and I've never been more embarrassed."

_Oh no..._

I heard Sasuke's gasp and my gaze swung his way. He was pale and looked sick. "Ma–"

"You've always had a mouth on you and I never could stop it, but don't you ever..._ever_, speak to a woman like that again. I don't ever want to feel ashamed by my son, because that's exactly how I felt upstairs."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered without hesitation.

"I know you are. Just don't let it happen again," she replied with confidence, and I now knew exactly where Sasuke got his from.

Ms. Uchiha's gaze hit my face and it softened. "You okay, Sweetie?" she asked and I nodded, too scared to speak. She walked to me, pulled me into her arms and hugged me. I hugged her back and glanced at Sasuke to see he was watching us with affection.

"I love you like you're my own. You need me, I'm always here for you. Sasuke has no place in our relationship...unless you hurt him of course, then I won't be happy and I might have to smack some sense into you too...but I don't really see that happening."

I laughed at that and hugged her tighter.

We stayed like that until a horn honked and Ms. Uchiha let me go. "Ah, Ria's here. She's taking me to Target and then she's taking me home." She paused and looked at Sasuke.

"I love you," she stated loud and clear.

"You're my heart, Ma," he replied and that brought stupid tears to my eyes again. But having heard it a million times from her son, Ms. Uchiha started away.

"Okay, you two play nice while I'm gone," she ordered. Then she got in Ria's car and left us.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Five Months Later

**Sakura Haruno**

It was one o'clock in the morning and I was scared to death. Trembling. I scrambled to the headboard and reached for the phone.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Sasuke answered on the second ring, concern lacing his tone. I hated when he had to work nights.

"They're doing it again," I whispered, worried someone would hear. I just didn't know. "They know you're gone. I don't know what it was, but I think they were banging on the front door and it woke me up."

"Those motherfuckers," he growled.

The neighbors, our pot smoking, crackhead looking, loser neighbors were terrorizing me again. They moved in two months ago and were so nice and friendly at first. It was a daily occurrence to smell pot coming from their place, but hey, it didn't harm us in any way, so Sasuke never made a deal of it. But the moment they spotted Sasuke come home in his police uniform, all hell broke loose. They started torturing me—specifically on the nights Sasuke worked late, knowing I'd be alone.

They'd bang on the walls and the front door at all hours of the night and into the morning. They'd shout "Pig whore, pig bitch, pig shit" at me if they caught me alone in the parking lot. They'd throw things at our bedroom window while I tried to sleep, which wasn't much anymore.

I was scared to death, and Sasuke was out of his mind, because there wasn't much he could do. He'd already threatened them and they'd practically laughed in his face. He had his cop buddies driving by the apartment to keep an eye out at night, but they could only do it so often. His friends had already given them a number of parking tickets, and they were persistently waiting for the neighbors to really screw up so they could arrest them.

Our lease was up in two more months and we'd been hoping to wait it out, but I wasn't sure I could take much more. I was considering staying with his mom on the nights he worked late until then, instead of paying to get out of the lease.

"You remember where the gun is?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," I breathed, thinking I knew where it was, but I didn't want to touch it. I wasn't scared of guns because Sasuke made sure I knew how to use one, but I knew why he was asking and that terrified me.

I heard him take a deep breath before he spoke. "All right, Freckles. I'm done with this shit. Can you look outside and see if their car is there?"

"Ummm...yeah, give me a sec." I climbed out of bed and walked through the living room to the window.

"Car's gone," I confirmed.

"Good. I'm gonna get Akimichi on it and see if we can't finish this tonight," he said with a hint of danger.

"What does that mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Baby. You just try to go back to sleep. I'll be home around six. Anyone enters that apartment, you put a bullet in their head, you got me? Nothing better fuckin' happen to you, Sakura."

I shuddered at the horrific image and my skin chilled.

"I love you, Sasuke."

"With all my heart, Freckles," he said, and then disconnected. 

**Sasuke Uchiha**

"It's done," Akimichi said in my ear as I pulled up to my apartment and I breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since Sakura's call. Akimichi continued, "Mira and Sagiri Tsubasa. DUI and two pounds of marijuana in the trunk of their car. A warrant's been issued for their apartment, and I'll make damn fuckin' sure the complex issues an eviction notice and changes the locks. I don't care what I gotta do. I don't know if they'll post bond, and it's possible they will, but I'll keep you posted if that happens. Just make sure Sakura watches her back."

At that, we disconnected and I hauled ass up the stairs to get to my woman.

I found her in bed, curled up on her side, hair fanned out over her pillow, holding my pillow to her chest. My gut tightened at her beauty and the fact that she was all mine. A goddess. I'd been on edge all night, but the sight of her calmed me. The thought of something happening to her had me sick. Knots in my stomach. Nausea even. I didn't know what I'd do if she was hurt, physically or emotionally. Knowing she'd been alone and scared nearly killed me.

I quickly undressed. I needed to feel her. I needed to know she was safe.

I lifted the covers, put my knee to the bed at Sakura's side and watched her eyes fluttered open. Dark green, sleepy eyes met mine and she gave me the lazy smile that I looked forward to seeing every single day.

"Missed you," she said, her voice huskier than normal and her hand lifted to my cheek.

I twisted and kissed her palm.

I missed her too, but telling her how much wouldn't even begin to describe how deep missing her went. Working nights had been hard and it had taken its toll on both of us, but she was always here when I left and always here when I came home.

Somehow, in the past year, she'd become my world.

And I needed to show her that.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asked and I closed my eyes to savor the endearment. She didn't say it often, but when she did, I loved it.

I looked down at her. I needed to tell her the shit with our neighbors was done, but it'd have to wait until the morning. I rolled and her hand fell away from my face. My hands went to the waistband of my boxers, the ones Sakura was currently wearing—her favorite—and I tugged them down her legs, brushing kisses on them as I went.

I climbed back over her, removed her shirt as I went, until I covered her body with mine like a blanket. She licked her lips, but I wanted her to lick mine instead. So I kissed her, devoured her, our tongues tangled and caressed. I rubbed my hips against hers and she met me, moaning into my mouth.

I reached between us.

"Sasuke," she breathed when I touched her and I knew she was already ready for me. I didn't wait, I couldn't wait.

I lifted and dark green met coal black.

"You belong to me, Baby?" I asked, desperate to hear her answer.

"Always," she whispered and in one long, deep thrust, I was inside her...owning her...her owning me...us consuming each other... both desperate for one another. I took her to the edge, controlling her body, powering her hunger. I pushed deeper, harder and faster until she fell over the side, but not before she took me with her.

Five Weeks Later

**Sasuke Uchiha**

_This can't be happening. It had to be wrong._

"Are you sure?" I asked.

I couldn't even swallow past the tightness in my throat. My body wouldn't work. It was frozen solid, damned to stay that way for the rest of my life. My elbows were glued to the top of my thighs, my fingers were laced and fisted tightly underneath my chin, because without them, I'd collapse face first to the floor.

The muscles in my neck strained against my skin and my jaw hurt from clamping down. But I couldn't figure out why I was so mad.

I already knew. She didn't have to fuckin' tell me, I already knew. I think it might have even been what I wanted at the time... that split second in time.

Sakura was sitting next to me on the old, ragged, torn leather sofa I'd picked up at a Salvation Army when I hadn't been able to afford much else. Sakura didn't belong on this sofa. She didn't belong in the apartment. None of it was worthy of her beauty.

_I wasn't worthy of her beauty._

I couldn't even look at her.

_Pregnant. Fuck._

I've ruined her. She might almost be twenty, but I was almost twenty-five and plenty old enough to know I just destroyed her future. She hadn't even gone back to school and she damn sure was screwed out of it now.

"I took four tests. I'm sure," she answered softly at my side.

_Fuck!_

I was out of it. I couldn't think. I was fucked up in the head and knew it. What the hell kind of father would I be? Would I be jacked up like my own? Would I beat my kid?

The thought made me throw up a little in my mouth. I wouldn't. I knew I wouldn't. Never. It was a stupid thought. But I was fucked up and this was all wrong. I wasn't even here most of the time and shifts wouldn't lighten until at least my third year on the force. And how was a baby supposed to live in this place? This shit hole. I didn't even want Sakura here.

And money. I didn't have much of it. Sakura's job was only part time, but even full time she made shit, and with a baby, she wouldn't be able to work.

My chest hurt.

_A baby._

I was gonna pass out.

The realization that I was going to have to dip into the money my piece of shit father left me made sweat break out over my forehead. I had to get Sakura in a house. I needed a good vehicle. There was going to be diapers and bottles and clothes and blankets and…a ton of other baby shit to buy.

I couldn't afford all that on my salary. I could take an extra job every night, but then I'd never see Sakura.

Or my baby.

I wanted to cry.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke," she said like it was her fault when it wasn't. It hurt to know she was crying, but I couldn't do anything about it, because I couldn't even speak.

This wasn't her fault, but she was apologizing and I couldn't even open my goddamn mouth to tell her everything would be okay.

And I should have been shot for what I said next.

"I'm gonna take a shower and get ready for work." I stood on shaky legs.

"Sasuke, please talk to me. I don't know what to do and I need you," she cried softly and it was agony hearing the panic in her voice. Tears were sliding down her face and I rubbed my chest over my heart.

"There's nothing left to do, Sakura," I said, pained. Not Baby, not Freckles...just Sakura. I was fuckin' losing it. "We're getting married and I'll figure out what to do about a house next week. I'll tell Ma. She'll be thrilled," I finished and somehow her tears stopped...just...like...that.

"I'm not marrying you just because I'm pregnant," she hissed.

"Yeah, Sakura, you fuckin' are. You have my baby, you take my name. I don't want that baby to have any other piece of me except my fuckin' name, so you're damn well gonna marry me. And that reminds me, now I'll have to put you on my goddamn insurance 'cause yours is shit. There'll be doctors' visits, hospital visits...another fuckin' arm and leg!" I was talking crazy and I knew it. The look on her face said the same.

She was still marrying me goddamn it.

"You're upset, so I'm going to pretend you didn't mean any of that," she whispered, now on the verge of crying again.

"I don't know what I mean," I muttered. "I'm going to take a shower and go to work. We'll talk about this shit later." I walked out of the room and it hit me, too late, that I'd just called this situation "shit"...that I just motherfuckin' called having a baby "shit" to Sakura's face.

Why the fuck couldn't I ever say the right thing?

When I got out of the shower, Sakura was gone. I called her cell three times, but she wouldn't answer and, when the voicemail came on, I whispered, "I'm sorry, Baby."

Two Weeks Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

I was married now.

But why did it feel so wrong?

I looked down at the ivory skirt and pale pink top I'd worn to the Justice of the Peace and couldn't believe Sasuke and I had just said our "I dos". Pregnant and married at twenty years old...well, technically nineteen, but who was counting? I was happy. More than happy. This was something I'd dreamed of my entire nineteen years of life, a family. And having Sasuke as my husband was the cherry on top.

My knight in shining armor with a foul mouth who never said the right thing.

But I loved him. I loved it all. And I knew I'd love him until the day I died.

I glanced at him sitting in the driver's seat and wondered how I'd snagged him. He was amazing. Way out of my league. Maybe that was one of the reasons he didn't feel the same as me.

He was miserable. He tried to hide it, but I could see through every one of his emotional masks. I'd tried until I was blue in the face to talk him out of marrying me, but he'd been adamant. It got to the point where I couldn't even bring it up without him flipping out on me.

Since the day I told him I was pregnant, nothing had been the same between us.

He worked constantly and I rarely saw him. When I did, he acted fine, but, again, my sixth sense told me everything was far from fine. I was pretty sure getting married was a mistake, on his part, not mine, but I loved him so much that I'd try hard to make us work.

Though, in the back of my mind I knew, had I not gotten pregnant, we never would have gotten married. Sure, he'd hinted that we would in the future, but now that future was pushed up, and it was clear he'd had a change of heart about marrying me. His resentment was permanently etched, clear as day, on his gorgeous face.

He didn't want this baby, but hopefully he'd come to love him or her when they were born. And until then, I'd try to make him happy. For the baby, and for Sasuke, I'd try hard to make this work.

Amazing how things could be so good one minute, only to fall apart the next.

"What do you think, Mrs. Uchiha?" Sasuke asked, surprisingly cheery, as we pulled up to a white, two-story, Victorian style house in Clear Lake that was located about ten minutes from his mom's house. I glanced around and my stomach did a somersault when I saw the SOLD sign in the front yard. I was going to be sick.

He bought a house without even including me. And when did he have the time to find this?

"Sakura, Baby, what's wrong?"

"You bought a house without me?" I asked in a voice that was barely audible.

He grabbed my hand and he gripped it hard. "No, Sakura, not completely. The paperwork is almost done on it, but I wanted you to see it first. Look at me," he ordered and when I did, he finished. "I don't want you in that apartment anymore. Our baby will not grow up there. The only reason I started the paperwork is because I think you'll love it, but if you don't, I'll put a stop to it. You'll have to sign anyway, so your name is on the deed. If you don't like it, you won't sign it, okay? I just wanted to do this for you. I didn't want you to stress about it. Believe me, it's been a major fuckin' headache already."

I didn't know if I should be touched or upset, so I just nodded.

"Baby, you don't like it, we won't get it," he reiterated.

He lifted my left hand and placed a kiss over my plain, but beautiful, white gold wedding ring.

I instantly calmed.

And lucky for him, I did like the house. It was beautiful and I was in love with it, but it was way too much house for just the two of us.

"This is too big, Sasuke. What in the world do we need all this room for?" It was…I think he said something like thirty-four hundred square feet. Whatever. All I knew was that it was fucking huge compared to the apartment.

I looked at him, but he wouldn't look at me.

"How are we going to afford this?" I asked, extremely worried about his answer.

"You let me worry about that, Sakura," he replied, walking up and wrapping me in his arms. I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it, but I don't want it if you're going to have to work day and night to pay for it. I can start full-time at work, but I don't know how much that will help," I said.

"You're not working full-time, Sakura. When my dad died, he left me a little bit of money. It'll help if I need to use it."

"Oh. Are you sure? I don't need this house, Sasuke. I don't mind the apartment."

"I want to do this for you, Baby…for us," he said softly and then he rested his hand on my stomach carefully. I placed my hands over his.

"I love you, Sasuke. If it makes you happy, I'll sign."

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters! :}**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi! Let's get these flashbacks to their ends! Here are five chapters for you guys! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Six Weeks Later

The Demise - Day 1

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I already knew what this meeting was about, and it pissed me off that they were asking me again.

"Sasuke, I know you don't want to, but you should consider it. You'll move up faster in the department. It's who you know, not what you know. I guarantee you, Sakura will never find out. This case should only last a week, tops. Our informant will only talk to you, and all we need is a location," my first year Lieutenant pleaded, but all I could think about was how badly I'd fucked up last night to get me in the situation.

I never should have gone, but after putting them off for so long, I'd finally decided to go out for a beer with some of the guys after work. The night had started out fine until everyone decided to hit up a strip club named Hunnies. I only went for forty minutes, to show face, but it'd been forty minutes too long.

The fucked up part…I hadn't called Sakura to let her know. I figured with the bullshit way I'd been acting lately, the last thing she needed was the added stress of wondering what I was doing at Hunnies.

And shockingly, it was my first time at a strip club, but after walking in, I'd planned for it to be my last. Don't get me wrong, a couple of the chicks were hot and some of them could dance their asses off, but about eighty percent of them were covered in stretch marks which, coincidentally, only had my mind stuck on my woman.

My wife.

My pregnant wife.

Not that she had stretch marks yet, but she'd probably get them–a thought that actually excited me. To think about Sakura's belly growing, my baby growing inside her…all I'd wanted to do was get home to her, and ironically, a night out with the boys had turned into a wake-up call.

The dancers had been all over us, and one in particular wouldn't get off my jock. For some reason, my boss egged her on and paid for her to give me two lap dances, regardless of how many glares I'd shot in his direction. It wouldn't be until earlier this afternoon that I'd found out why.

"I'm not sure how whoring around for the police department will move me up the fuckin' ladder," I finally replied and I couldn't keep the disgust out of my voice.

"You won't be whoring around. You won't have to do anything you don't want to do, but the fact remains, she's decided she'll only deal with you. You already have an in. I wouldn't have offered you the job if I didn't think you could do it. You go in a few nights, we wire you, you talk, you get the location or a name and you get out. It's rookie investigative work, and if that's what you want to get into in the department, this is a good start. You do this, and after you take your test for Sergeant, I'll put in a good word…hell, I put in a good word before your test since you have a long way to go."

_Fuck!_

What he was saying was true. I knew this would help me get my foot in the door faster, but going out two or three nights this week was going to put even more tension on my already strained marriage. My brand new marriage. I hadn't even taken Sakura on a honeymoon. I needed to do that, and I needed to start fixing the trust that I know I've broken between us.

But, this was also a way to move up, to make more money, to secure our future without having to touch my father's dirty money. I wouldn't have to live with that regret. And I'd be able to give Sakura some of the things she never had growing up.

I wanted that for our baby too.

"I'll do it," I decided and when the Lieutenant nodded, I continued. "But I won't touch her and she's not touching me. She does, this is over."

He nodded again. "It'll work out fine. We'll start tomorrow night."

"Fine," I finished, stood and walked out the door, wondering if I'd just made the worst decision of my life.

It took me twenty minutes to get home, and when I walked in, the house was silent, and the only light came from a small table lamp in the living room. I noted right away that it was fuller, filled with more furniture and decorations, which helped me relax. Slowly but surely, the house was coming together; though, I didn't give a shit what Sakura and my mom did with the place as long as Sakura was happy with it.

I glanced at the clock: midnight. She'd still be awake and I couldn't wait to see her. I had to touch her, I had to feel her and know she was still with me...still mine. I climbed the stairs and headed toward the master bedroom. The TV was on, but it was muted and Sakura was curled up on her side with her back toward me and she looked asleep, which was completely out of the norm at this time.

_Pregnancy, maybe?_

I took off my uniform, threw it on the floor, and walked around the bed to kneel at Sakura's side. Her hands were tucked under her pillow and her knees were bent to her waist, curled into a ball. She looked so small, so fragile in this position that my heart lurched.

I studied her and memorized every unique feature...her thick, wavy pink hair, her freckles, her small, straight nose, her full, pink lips, her high cheekbones, her long, naturally curled eyelashes, her soft, creamy skin, her perfectly arched brows, and her peaceful face.

But something on the pillow caught my attention and my eyes shifted. I touched my fingers to the spot, careful not to disturb her, and it was wet...right under her cheek. My stomach plummeted. She'd been crying and I knew it was because of me. She needed me and I wasn't here for her. She was my wife, pregnant with my baby, and I'd been distancing myself from her when she fuckin' needed me.

I'd been so stupid in thinking I had to give her all the things she's never had growing up in order to keep her and make her happy, when all she ever wanted was me. She'd grown up with nothing, asked for nothing, and wanted nothing. However, that was exactly part of my problem. She was so selfless and self-sacrificing, that I wanted her to have everything and I wanted to be the one to give it to her. But in my own selfish crusade to keep her, I'd only been hurting her, and myself, in the process.

Here my pride had kept me from using the money my asshole father left me, but how ironic was it that I felt I needed a lot of it to keep Sakura happy?

_Jesus, I'm an idiot._

And on top of all that, Sakura was having my baby. She was going to be a mommy and I was going to be a daddy...hopefully to a pinkheaded, freckle-faced little girl who looked just like Sakura. I was scared to death about it too...I don't think I'd ever been more scared of anything in my life. I'd been worried that I'd be as shitty a father as my own, but then I'd gone and bought a monstrous house with the intention of keeping Sakura knocked up and filling it with more babies.

I groaned silently. I should be shot. My mind was finally seeing clearly and I was relieved. It was as if I'd been looking through a kaleidoscope from the moment Sakura told me she was pregnant. Man, when I fucked up, I did it royally.

Somehow, I had to make things right and I'd do it fast.

I wasn't letting her leave me.

The Demise - Day 2

**Sakura Uchiha**

I stood there frozen until what I was looking at finally sank in. Then I started shaking, body wracking tremors. The pain in my chest was unbearable and the baby in my stomach was making me sick.

I quickly thought back to last night, when I'd awakened to Sasuke's chest pressing against my back and his arm wrapping around my body, hugging me like he never wanted to let me go. He'd tucked his face in my hair, took a deep breath, sighed and kissed my shoulder. His fingers had traced patterns on my stomach.

I hadn't moved. I think I'd even stopped breathing.

Since moving into this house, Sasuke's been so close, yet a million miles away.

"My wife," he'd mumbled against my ear, oddly sounding comforted by the word. "I'm so sorry, Baby. I promise I'll fix us," he'd finished and I'd stayed up at least another hour contemplating what he meant by that.

But now I knew.

It'd been words spoken out of guilt.

He was guilty.

My hands were trembling now. I'd just been about to put a load of laundry in the washing machine when I spotted the smear of red lipstick on the crotch of the jeans Sasuke wore two night ago...when he supposedly went out with the boys from work.

Heat filled my cheeks and tears pricked my eyes at what this meant. Could there be some other explanation than him cheating? Why would he even look for ass somewhere else? Not that he actually had to look far. Badge bunnies were easy to come by, but I'd never given him a reason to find sex somewhere else. I'd never denied him. Even with his distance, we had sex nearly every single day. Probably even more so since he found out I was pregnant, as odd as that may seem.

I threw the jeans on the floor, as hard as I could, and they landed with a thud at my feet.

I was home pregnant with his baby while he was out fucking around on me!

_UGH!_

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to strangle him, but more than anything, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. I had to see it. I had to know for certain. I had very little doubt that he wasn't cheating; it only made sense with all the "extra jobs" he's been taking, but I did have hope, and I owed it to myself...to my baby...to never give up unless I was absolutely positive.

And God, I hoped I was wrong.

The Demise – Day 6

**Sakura Uchiha**

It was almost ten o'clock at night and Sasuke looked miserable as he walked into the living room and straight toward me.

"I gotta go, Sakura." He cupped my cheek with his hand and bent to kiss me, but I jerked my head back.

"Freckles, you gonna tell me what the fuck is goin' on?" He looked down at me sitting on the sofa with narrowed eyes, a scowl and a muscle ticking in his jaw. The sight of him made me want to cry again, but I couldn't give anything away. I'd never been much of a crier anyway, and I didn't know if it was that I'd just surpassed my first trimester, but I was feeling less…hormonal.

Now, all I felt was rage, because three days out of the last six, Sasuke had to work his "extra job"—an extra job that had him coming home and showering straight away. Probably to wash off whatever bitch he'd just been with. He'd pull his ring from his jean pocket—when he should still be in uniform—when he thought I wasn't looking. I hadn't seen any more lipstick stains, but they weren't necessary. He acted plenty guilty enough by suddenly being excessively interested in me and my baby... that's right… _my baby_. Fuck Sasuke.

He kept apologizing for distancing himself from me in the very beginning, apologizing for not giving me a big wedding or taking me on a honeymoon. He kept begging me to never leave him and telling me he was going to make things right between us again, but then he'd leave for his "extra job".

And I was going to let him live with his "extra job" for the rest of his miserable fucking life.

I was leaving Sasuke.

I'd just been waiting for the right time. I had to see him cheating with my own eyes, because I had to know, deep in my soul, that I was doing the right thing. And tonight was the night.

"What do you mean?" I asked nonchalantly, disregarding his frustration, because he was an asshole and didn't deserve an explanation.

"Sakura," he warned. "You know exactly what I mean... you hardly say ten words to me in a day, you flinch every time I touch you... I just tried to kiss you, you wouldn't let me… and why the fuck is Sai here dressed like a goddamn ninja? All black doesn't suit him," he snapped, throwing a glare in Sai's direction. And he was right of course. All black didn't suit Sai. With his white-blond hair, pale skin, big blue eyes and leaner build, he sort of looked more like a celebrity stalker than a ninja, but I supposed it was a perfect fit for the night.

"Shut up, asshole," Sai barked and stood. "I don't know how she puts up with your shit. She doesn't deserve it and you sure as hell don't deserve her…. Sakura, I'll be in the kitchen."

_Oh my God!_

"What the hell has gotten into everybody around here?" Sasuke asked the room, still staring after Sai's retreating back.

I shrugged.

"Well?" he asked, finally looking at me again.

"Well what?"

"Why won't you kiss me?" he demanded to know and I had to think fast.

I touched my lips. "I think I feel a cold sore coming on," I muttered against my fingers and he stared at me like I just landed from outer space.

"Are you fuckin' shitting me?" he asked, irritated.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not _shitting _you. I think it's going to be a bad one. I'dreally hate for you to get it too, you know, it'ssomething a concerned, pregnant _wife _should care about... giving her husband afucking infection!" I couldn't contain mywrath any longer.

I heard his teeth grinding and he looked away. He swiped a hand over his head and down his face, before looking at me again. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me off the couch. I glared, tugged on my hand and he dropped it, but only to wrap his arms around my waist.

"You're mad at me," he stated softly, but it wasn't a question.

Still, I answered, "Killing."

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, before opening them. His black eyes bore into mine. "I'm trying to make things right between us, but you're making it hard for me, Freckles. I can't read your mind and you won't talk to me."

"Trust me, you don't want me to."

He sighed. "Is it the baby? Are you not feeling good? Are you tired—"

His care was sweet, but it was painful and it was too late. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" I cut him off.

"Are you leaving me?" he asked in a tortured whisper, and I slammed my eyes shut. The fear in his voice was excruciating, but what hurt the most was that I couldn't answer him, and I was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

His arm around me constricted painfully tight. He dropped his forehead to my shoulder and I heard him breathe me in. I hugged him back and buried my face against his neck because I couldn't resist. I loved him with everything in me… I always would and nothing would change that.

"Don't leave me," he pleaded. "You're my heart, Baby, and I need you to survive. I know I screwed things up between us, but I'm trying to fix it… I'm dying to fix it, but you're not letting me." He lifted off my shoulder and framed my face with his hands.

Tears filled my eyes at the sincerity in his. "I hate this job, Sakura. If I hadn't already agreed to work tonight I would stay with you so we can work this out… but after tonight, I promise, Baby, no more. Just give me tonight. Promise me you'll be here when I come home."

I couldn't do that. I couldn't make a promise I wasn't sure I could keep. I wanted so desperately to be wrong. There was a small piece of me that refused to believe he would cheat, but the signs were all there and I couldn't ignore them. I had too much pride.

But I knew Sasuke wouldn't let me go if I didn't agree, so I did the only thing I could do… I nodded.

Two Hours Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

"Sasori, are you sure he's still inside?" Sai asked as I turned into the parking lot of a strip club named Hunnies. The name made me throw up a little in my mouth, as did the neon sign that hung over the front of the building; a bottle of—wait for it—_honey _dripping onto a something pink that looked a lot like the tip of a tongue surrounded by pink lips.

My hands were shaking. My face was on fire. My blood was boiling. My heart was pounding and I felt nauseous. This night was going to end badly. I knew it the second I parked, turned off the truck, and lightening flashed across the sky.

"Sasori said Sasuke's been in there over an hour and hasn't come out yet," Sai said, the sound of flipping his cell shut at my side brought me to attention and I faced him.

God, I loved Sai and Sasori. Sai and I had tried to follow Sasuke the last night he worked late, but we hadn't really thought it through. Sasuke had called my cell five minutes into our pursuit wondering where Sai and I were going and why we were out on the streets so late. Sasuke had spotted us and our plan had been foiled.

_Bastard…_

So I'd quickly gone back to the drawing board and came up with Plan B. Sasori would wait down the street from our house in his car and follow Sasuke to his final destination where Sai and I would then swoop in.

And it worked.

_And now we're at a fucking strip club._

"Sakura, baby love, you don't have to go in. I can go in and tell you what I see. Maybe even take a picture with my phone as evidence?" Sai offered, but I shook my head.

"Thank you, Sai, but no. I have to see for myself. I won't be able to live with doubts." I sighed and opened the door. "Let's just get this over with," I finished and jumped out of the truck.

As we walked to the front door, I looked down at myself feeling absolutely ridiculous in the clothes Sai had bought for me. I was pregnant, wearing a skintight black leather miniskirt, a flesh hugging black, low cut tank and black thigh high, high heeled boots.

I looked half stripper, half biker chick, but I figured I had to fit in and couldn't very well wear jeans and flip flops.

Luckily, Sai knew my every size and thankfully, even at four months, I wasn't showing yet.

My makeup was caked on to hide my freckles and I had my hair teased and pulled into a ponytail near the crown of my head with little fly-aways hugging my face… that way Sasuke wouldn't see pink coming from a mile away. If the lighting was dark enough inside–which I suspected it would be–my hair would look light brown.

As soon as I walked through the velvet, yes velvet, front door Sai held open for me, the lyrics from Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" assailed my ears and my nerves soared.

_Shit just got real._

"Sorry, babe, no women allowed inside," a young, beautiful, big boobed, black haired woman snapped at me as soon as I walked to the counter to pay my admission fee and I glanced at Sai who looked completely baffled.

"What do you mean no women allowed inside? It's a strip club for _men_," Sai asked curiously, enunciating the word, and big boobs glanced his way.

"Unless you're a dancer, no women allowed inside."

"Well I wanna dance," I thought fast and big boobs faced me again with a scowl.

She looked me up and down. "_You _wanna dance," she asked, like it was an insaneidea and _that _pissed me right the fuck off, but pissing me off served to sooth myrattled nerves.

"Do I look like I'm here to play checkers?" I snapped back and watched as she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. I wasn't dancing, but I had to get inside and if this was the only way in, so be it.

Then I watched as big boobs picked up the phone and dialed. A second longer and she started her one-sided conversation.

"Taka, got a girl up here, says she wants to dance… yes…" Her frown deepened. "How the hell was I supposed to know that…? No, bitch called in a-fucking-gain… All right…" Her eyes gave my body another once over. "Yeah, she's small… Short… Big tits… All black, mini-skirt, pink hair… All right… I'll send her in." Big boobs slammed the phone down.

"Taka, the owner, said he'll check you out. Got a girl that cancelled and we gotta fill her spot. He said to wait for him at the bar, but your friend here's gotta pay... twenty bucks."

She held her hand out in Sai's direction.

_Oh shit!_

I was going to have to find Sasuke fast.

_I am not freaking dancing._

I glanced at Sai who handed her the money and I muttered, "Thanks," just before we walked through the black curtain and straight into a wife's nightmare.

My feet moved of their own accord, because my mind was too busy being overstimulated. It was dim, the only colored lighting came from the stage where my eyes were riveted on a topless woman who had just finished a dance to Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls".

I jumped at the popping sound the lights made the moment they flashed off.

And then Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" started playing in perfect beat... bump, thump, bump, thump, bump, thump… and a blonde woman in a black patent leather bodice and matching thong and heels glided onto the stage and started dancing in faultless rhythm.

Butterflies filled my stomach and I was spellbound. It was strange, but I thought her dance looked absolutely beautiful. Had this been any other time, I'd have asked Sai for some dollars, but time was of the essence so I hurried and asked, "Do you see him?"

I saw Sai scanning the room and so was I.

Nothing.

I kept looking around, at all the faces of the men whose eyes were engrossed in watching the woman on stage, but none of them were Sasuke.

I turned, and that's when I spotted the stairs hidden in the back. My eyes lifted…balcony.

I had no doubt he was up there, but I scanned the room once more just to make sure.

No Sasuke.

When I looked to the stairs once more, I saw the bouncer.

"Sai, he's up there, I just know it, but there's a bouncer." I pointed to the stairs and when Sai looked, I saw his shoulders slump. He stayed quiet a moment before he faced me.

"Okay. I have an idea. I'm not sure if it'll work, but you'll have to play along," he said.

Next thing I knew, I was climbing the stairs behind Sai. The bouncer had also been so engrossed with the woman onstage that when Sai told him he wanted a lap dance from me in particular, the bouncer hadn't even glanced in my direction.

But it also might have been from the one hundred dollar bill Sai slipped in his hand that I never saw happen.

When we hit the landing of the steps, the first thing I saw were the numerous couches scattered throughout the large, open room where men were relaxing and being danced on.

But that's not what held my attention.

My body turned to stone.

Against the side wall were six small booths with curtains—all were closed except two, but only one was filled with a man and a woman.

_What were the odds_?

I could only assume that closed curtains meant that a customer was getting a hell of a lot more than just a lap dance because the one booth that was open showed another topless blonde doing a hell of a lot more. And I could see the profile of her face perfectly. I had an unobstructed view. It would be ingrained in my memory for the rest of my godforsaken life.

She looked good sitting on Sasuke's lap too… grinding on him in perfect time to the still playing "Closer". Her legs were splayed wide and I watched as the juncture between her legs rubbed against his crotch, as her hands touched him and caressed his chest.

She threw her head back, flinging her hair and enjoying every ounce of her own playing.

Sai grabbed my hand and squeezed it painfully tight, and tears filled my eyes as I watched the show.

She moved on him like a snake claiming her prey and Sasuke just sat there with his head thrown back against the sofa as he watched her. His hands were relaxed at his sides and his hypnotized expression told me he was more than enjoying the feel of her as he let her work her magic.

And when she put her breasts in his face and rubbed them against his lips, Sasuke closed his eyes.

I cried.

She dropped her head, whispered something in his ear and—even though the lighting was dim—I still saw his lips tip up into a satisfied smile that stabbed me straight through the heart.

At that exact moment, the final dings started to play from the speakers and the blonde took Sasuke's mouth with hers… my husband's mouth... the father of my unborn baby's mouth. She started grinding on him harder, fucking him through his clothes and he didn't stop her. He did nothing at all and all I could do was watch in humiliated horror as tears rained down my face.

"Sakura?" I heard called out over the quieting music and the ringing in my ears. I twisted my neck and my eyes flew straight into those of Sasuke's friend and coworker, Choji Akimichi, who was sitting on one of the sofas in the middle of the room with another Hunnies' bitch in his lap.

Sai's hand tugged on mine and I twisted. He started pulling me down the stairs and I didn't hesitate in running behind him.

"Sakura!" I heard Choji bellow, but neither one of us stopped and I was glad Sai didn't let my hand go. It was the only thing keeping me on my feet. When we made it downstairs, everyone gawked at us, but we made it out the front door and ran through the pouring rain to my truck without anyone stopping us.

I fumbled to find my keys and unlock the doors.

Then I fumbled to get my keys in the ignition.

"Swap places. Let me drive, Sakura," Sai rushed, but I ignored him. There wasn't enough time. I had to get out of here and I had to do it right this second. My hands trembled, but I managed to get the key in and turn. When I switched the lights on, I saw Sasuke and Choji both sprinting toward the truck and I vaguely heard them both shouting my name over the rain hammering on the roof.

_Fuck him._

I threw the truck in reverse just as Sasuke's fist slammed down on the hood, but I twisted my neck, stepped on the gas and sped out of the parking lot.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Four Hours Later

**Sasuke Uchiha**

It was nearly four in the fuckin' morning and I still hadn't found her or heard from her. Tears hit my eyes because I'd never felt so helpless in my life.

But it was all my fault. I'd known from the moment I left Sakura at home, that my night was gonna turn to shit, yet I still did nothing about it.

I glanced to the front door of Sai's house again, willing it to open even though I knew no one was inside.

I'd called Sakura, Sai, Sasori and my mom more times than I could count, but nothing.

"_Fuck... Fuck!" _I punched the steering wheel and threw my head back against the seat, thinking there was no way I was gonna be able to get myself out of this. Had I not fucked up with Sakura from the moment she told me she was pregnant, there might have been a small chance she'd let me explain, but after this shit tonight, I knew there would be no way she'd forgive me.

I remembered the stripper's words when she'd whispered them in my ear.

"They're suspicious," she'd said with absolute certainty, and dread had instantly filled my stomach. "They'll kill us both if you don't make this look real," she'd ordered. "You have to look like you're enjoying yourself." I'd plastered a fake smile on my face.

"I'm going to kiss you, and if you make it out of here alive, don't come back," she'd finished and it was the only warning I got before she'd kissed me.

I punched the steering wheel again and again until my knuckles bled.

"_Fuck!"_

I didn't know what to do.

I picked up the phone and called her again.

"Sakura, Baby, please pick up the phone so I can explain. I was working a case tonight. Freckles, please pick-up. I need to know you're all right." I flipped the phone shut and flipped it open again. I hit redial, but this time all I got was a recording that said mailbox full.

I felt murderous not knowing where she was.

I flipped the phone shut, dropped it to my lap and rubbed my eyes hard. I couldn't find her. I looked everywhere I thought she might go, but Sakura was nowhere to be found.

I flipped my phone open and called Choji again just to check.

"Anything?" I asked when I heard him answer, but all I got was a long sigh and then a tired, "Nothing, Man. You know I'd call you. I looked everywhere you asked and I even checked out a few hotels."

I closed my eyes against the pain.

"Thanks," was all I managed to whisper before hanging up.

I tried Sai again, but got voicemail, so I hung up. I flipped the phone open again to call Sasori, and I'd been just about to hang up when the ringing stopped mid-ring and I heard shifting in the background.

"Sasori!" I shouted through the phone, and sat up straight as hope surged through my veins, but no one spoke. "Sasori, say something!" I shouted again. I heard more shifting and I waited, desperately. Just as I was about to shout his name again, I heard Sasori's whispered, "Clear Lake Emergency" and then the phone went dead.

I pulled the phone away from my ear and stared at it as Sasori's words rocked my body.

"Oh God," I whispered to the silent truck.

If something happened to Sakura, I'd never forgive myself. Tears flooded my eyes at the thought, and I raced out of the driveway and hauled ass to the hospital, terrified out of my mind. I called Choji on the way and told him to meet me there, because I had no idea what to expect, and I didn't know what I might be capable of.

All of my mistakes replayed in my head continuously and I prayed for the ten agonizing minutes it took to get to the hospital. If anything happened to her, I'd kill myself.

Seeing the emergency room sign and knowing Sakura was inside made that suicidal feeling even worse. The pain was unbearable. I ran through the sliding glass doors, flashed my badge and barked "Sakura Uchiha," at the nurses' station and waited restlessly for someone to tell me where my wife was.

"I'm sorry, sir, there no one here by that name."

"Haruno, try Sakura Haruno," I snapped and watched as the lady worked on the computer with distress in every key stroke.

"They just moved her to Obstetrics and Gynecology. Second floor, room 203!" I was running before she finished, and alarm bells rang in my head at the mention of Sakura's location. I rushed to the elevator, hit the up button, and kept punching it with my fist until it arrived. When I got inside, sweat broke out over my forehead as I waited for the doors to open to the second floor.

I exited, ran to the right, and stopped dead when I saw Sai and Sasori in the waiting room. They were sitting, Sasori with his arm around Sai's shoulders, Sai with his head in his hands, and fear inched up my spine, one vertebrae at a time as tears clogged my throat. As I got closer, both heads lifted at the sound of my arrival. Both of their faces were red from crying.

"What happened? Where is she?" I asked, my voice hoarse.

I needed to know now.

"How could you do this to her?" Sai hissed and stood. Sasori quickly stood and embraced him, but Sai kept talking and never took his eyes off mine. "How could you _do _this to her?" he sobbed and I couldn't hold my tears in any longer. Not knowing what was happening was pure agony. "To _her! _Sakura! She's done nothing but love you and this is how you repay her!"

"Sai, Honey, calm down before they kick you out," Sasori broke in softly.

"She never had anything until she met you," Sai continued and I swiped a hand down my face in shame. "You gave her the family she's always dreamed of, and in one night, you _ripped it all away_!"

"Will somebody tell me what the fuck is going on?" I shouted in return and my words came out broken. They could be pissed, hate me forever; I just needed to know where my wife was. "Is Sakura okay? The baby?" I rushed. "Just tell me they're gonna be okay," I ordered frantically.

"You're going to hell for this," Sai hissed, shrugged out of Sasori's hold and took off, shoving me in the shoulder on his way past.

Sasori sighed as he watched Sai go.

"Sasori–"

"They were in an accident. The truck—" he started.

"I don't give a fuck about the truck!"

Sasori closed his eyes and took a calming breath. "Sakura has a sprained wrist, a slight concussion...and she's miscarrying."

I froze.

"What?" I breathed as acid filled my veins.

"She's having a procedure... a D&S or D&C… I don't remember exactly, but basically she's lost the baby."

"You're just saying that," I breathed. "Tell me you're just saying that because you're pissed at me," I begged, but when he only stared at me, his gaze unwavering, I knew he wasn't lying. I was going to be sick. I found the closest chair, sat down, and put my head in my hands.

I broke down and cried, body-wracking sobs so strong my chest was on fire. I'd never experienced so much pain in my life.

I cried for so long that I had no idea how much time had passed, but I knew Sai had come back and the sun had come up.

By the time a doctor in a white coat walked into the waiting room, I was numb.

"Haruno family," he called out, and Sai and I both jumped out of our chairs. I vaguely noted that Sakura hadn't even given the hospital her married last name and… God that hurt.

"How is she?" I rushed and the doctor faced me with a passive expression.

"Are you a relative?" he asked.

"I'm her husband," I snapped wanting him to hurry the hell up. "Can I see her yet?"

"Oh, yes." The doctor glanced at Sai who I knew was glaring at me. "But one at a time, please. She's still pretty groggy and I've called one of the counselors to come speak with her–wait!" he finished on a shout because I didn't let him finish.

I hurried passed him, too anxious to see Sakura to wait any longer.

"Sasuke!" Sai called, but I kept going. I had to get to my wife. I had to see her _now_. I had to touch her, and if Sai tried to stop me, I would make sure he ended up in another hospital room on a different fuckin' floor.

I got to Sakura's door. I took a deep breath, my heart heavy with fear. I opened it with shaky hands and walked in without making a sound.

I saw Sakura instantly, but I only managed to catch a glimpse of her tear stained face before she turned her head away from me. I closed my eyes for a brief second as I clicked the door shut behind me and I paused a minute, before walking to the bed.

I had absolutely no idea what to do, or say.

I couldn't fix this with words and I knew it.

Looking down at her - so small and fragile as she laid on her back with her fingers laced over her stomach with one wrist wrapped with a bandage—a tear leaked from the corner of my eye. The only view I had of her face was her profile, but I could easily see it was sickly pale and her eyes were closed.

I moved to cover her hands with mine, but as soon as they made the briefest contact she dropped her hands to her sides, and I fisted mine.

"Please look at me," I begged, my voice tortured. I had to see her eyes. I wanted to look in them and know she was still with me. I wanted to tell her how sorry I was. I wanted to tell her I would make this all better, but she never turned.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. For everything. I don't even know where to begin."

"Get out," she whispered in a voice that was lifeless.

I flinched.

"Sakura, please–"

"You got what you wanted. There's no more baby. Now get out," she whispered again, and my body solidified.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

"You don't think I wanted my baby? You think I wanted this to happen?" I asked in a voice so rough and pained I sounded like another person, but she didn't answer, she didn't move...

Nothing.

"I was scared about the baby in the beginning, but I wanted a baby with you more than anything, Sakura. We'll try again…as soon as you're ready," I promised.

But again, no movement came from her…

Nothing.

I swallowed passed the lump in my throat. I was desperate for her to talk to me.

"I was working a case tonight. I wasn't cheating on you. I never touched her. Ever. The dancer kissed me to save my life."

Still… Nothing.

"Baby, please. Look at me," I commanded in desperation, and after a long agonizing minute, her neck turned and her vacant eyes hit mine. They were void of all emotion. No tears, no understanding, just…dead.

"Get out," she whispered, and I looked away as tears filled my eyes.

I shook my head in refusal, in regret, in pain.

"No. I love you. I'm so sorry, Sakura. Please," I cried.

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault." Her voice was as lifeless as her eyes.

"We need each other. I need you. We'll get through this."

"There is no _we _in any of this, Sasuke. There never was and there never will be. You checked out on me the second I got pregnant. I don't have my baby anymore because of the choices I made, not you. I should have left you the day I told you I was pregnant. This isn't your fault, so you might as well leave. There's nothing you can say or do to make things right between us or make me think differently. And I don't want to be married to you anymore. No baby, no last name, no house… no to anything that's a part of you. I have never hated anyone so much in my life."

I wiped the tears from my eyes and whispered, "I won't let you go. I messed up. I'll give you time, but I won't let you go."

"Get out," she ordered, her voice a little deeper.

I shook my head.

"I won't let you divorce me. You're my _wife _and you're staying that way."

I wasn't letting her go. No fuckin' way. I messed up and I had to fix it.

I jerked when she screamed, "Get out" as she reached for the railing on her bed and punched repeatedly on the red call button.

I reached for her hand, pulled it from the button and exploded desperately, "I fuckin' love you! You're my heart, Sakura. I can't lose you!"

Tears were raining down her face… and my face… she was shaking.

A second later, two nurses ran in, and following behind them, was Sai who ran straight to Sakura.

"Get him out of here! Just get out," she shouted hysterically, and when a nurse grabbed my arm to escort me out of the room, I didn't fight her.

I'd give Sakura time, but that was all. I couldn't lose her. I needed her. She needed me. She was my fuckin' world.

"I'm never letting you go," I roared at her from the doorway before storming off, angry at everything… at everybody… at life... at the loss of my baby… at Sakura for wanting to give up… at me for making so many goddamn mistakes.

It was all my fault.

All of it.

Everything.

One Month Later

**Sasuke Uchiha**

"She won't see you. She won't even let me mention your name, Honey. I'm sorry," Mom whispered softly from the phone.

I threw back the rest of my scotch as I stared straight ahead at the black TV screen.

Sakura had still been taking mom to dialysis. It'd been one month and she still refused to see me, refused to answer my calls or return my messages.

I was wasted most of the time anyway, so, really, there was no telling what I said on those messages because I couldn't remember.

"I just need to know if she's okay. This is driving me crazy, Ma. I call every day but her voicemail is full, I call Sai and Sasori's house just as much. I stop by after work every day. I've sent flowers… I have no fuckin' idea what I'm supposed to do," I finished in a whisper.

I heard Mom's shaky inhale. "She just needs more time, Honey. It's only been a month."

"I get that, Ma, but she's supposed to be with me. We should be going through this together. I don't even know if she's okay."

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I just…I think she's hurt...and sad, Honey. I'm not sure the reality of it all has sunk in for her either, unless she's hiding it from me because she doesn't want me to tell you. I don't know. I'm just so sick at heart. She deserves to be happy. You both do."

"I don't deserve shit, Ma, and you know it. I killed my own baby," I hissed because she was wrong and it pissed me off when she defended me.

I was tired.

So goddamn tired.

And sad and miserable.

"Don't say that," she cried. "It wasn't your fault. You went about things the wrong way, Honey, but you had the best intentions at heart. Please stop tormenting yourself."

_Right._

"Whatever, Ma, I gotta go. Please tell her I love her. Tell her she's my world and I need her back."

"I will. I love you," she cried.

"I love you too, Ma. More than anything."

And with that, I hung up, thinking of nothing but Sakura and Mom. My women. Both of whom I needed in different ways. Both of whom were the loves of my life. My world. One raised me to become a man, a father…a provider. The other was meant to be the woman at my side, my wife, the mother of my kids… the one I provided for.

I adored them both.

They each owned a piece of my soul.

Sakura had taken the first half when she left me, and I wasn't sure she'd ever give it back... not that I wanted it. It was hers to keep.

But three months later, my mom took the other half of my soul when she left me too… and without my soul, nothing really mattered.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Three Months Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

"I told you," Sai hissed at my side as he pulled out of the funeral home parking lot and turned onto the main road. "He's a piece of shit."

I stared unseeing out the passenger window silently crying uncontrollably. I was beyond shattered, beyond destroyed, beyond broken.

I was ruined.

Sasuke brought the blonde to his mother's funeral. The stripper he'd cheated on me with.

It'd only been three months and he'd already moved on... well, technically he moved on the day I told him I was pregnant, but I'd thought and hoped the stripper had been just a momentary mistake.

Obviously, I'd been wrong. God that hurt.

After hearing about Mrs. Uchiha's passing, I'd decided I was going to talk to Sasuke. I had to tell him that I still loved him and that I wanted to come back to him.

I needed him.

_I'm pathetic._

He'd been calling me and calling me and I stupidly thought he wanted me back too. Maybe he'd been calling to ask for a divorce?

I wouldn't know because I'd deleted all his messages without listening to a single one.

I knew I'd said I didn't want to be married to him anymore, but that had only been in the heat of the moment. I hadn't been thinking clearly, but now I was.

Fuck Sasuke.

One Year and Six Months Later

**Sasuke Uchiha**

"Uchiha," I grumbled into the phone without glancing at the caller id, mostly because I wouldn't be able to see it even if I tried opening my eyes.

Hell, I was still fucked up.

_When was the last time I was sober_?

I couldn't remember.

_Oh shit. Where was I?_

I felt around and when my hand hit leather, I remembered I'd fallen asleep in the chair in the living room. Thank God. At least I was inside my house. Last time, I didn't even make it inside and I'd passed out on the front porch.

"Sasuke," I heard a soft, shy voice ask in my ear and I froze sobering instantly.

She sounded like an angel. My heart pumped faster making me dizzy, and I gripped my cell tight enough to pulverize it.

"Sakura?" My voice was rough from not enough sleep.

"Yes. I'm sorry to call you on such short notice, but I wanted to see if maybe we could meet somewhere. I really need to talk to you..." she paused. "...it's important."

I moved to sit up, but it was too fast and vomit inched up my throat. I swallowed hard and breathed deep to tamp down the sickness.

"Just tell me when and where." I'd be where ever she wanted me to be, no matter how sick.

"Ummm...can we just meet at the Starbucks by your house? In...say...an hour? This shouldn't take long," she informed me, but from the distress in her tone, I knew whatever she wanted to talk about was going to be bad.

Sure enough, exactly one hour later, as I sat across from my perfect Sakura–my beautiful wife—staring at her like I had never seen her before, I knew what she wanted.

A divorce.

She met someone. Here I'd been getting trashed, drinking myself sick every fuckin' day since she left me to forget all that was screwed up in my life, and Sakura had met someone else.

And she wanted a fuckin' divorce?

Here I thought she might want to talk and work things out.

Her eyes wouldn't meet mine, like she knew better, which was good because if I saw her eyes, I might just strangle her.

I fuckin' loved her.

_Bitch._

I never thought she'd be one. Ever. But here she was, looking so beautiful, wearing a white sundress, her wavy pink hair down and flowing around her shoulders, and she had light makeup on. She looked good and healthy. I hadn't eaten for days.

"I think it will be better for the both of us, Sasuke," Sakura said as she looked down at the coffee sitting on the table in front of her. Her finger drew circles around the lid.

"You serious about this guy?" I asked, and again she wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Yes," she replied, but she didn't sound very confident and I didn't know what that meant, but in that moment, I hated her.

She wanted a divorce; I'd fuckin' give her one.

"All right, Babe," I said and took pleasure in watching her flinch at the endearment she hated.

"Really?" she whispered with suspicion. "Just like that?"

My chair scrapped against the floor when I stood.

"Yeah, bitch, just like that," I growled.

"Sasuke, wait—" she started, but I kept going, pretending she didn't exist. I threw a twenty on the table and walked out the door.

Fuck her.

Gerry's Diner - I stared at the sign.

I'd been sitting in the parking lot of Gerry's Diner for over thirty minutes debating whether to go inside or not, but as I took another swig from my bottle of Jack, I decided it was go-time.

_Sakura. That fuckin' bitch._

The bell over the door dinged as soon as I walked through and I saw the back of her blonde hair standing behind the counter.

The moment she turned, her face lit up... like always.

Amane Todou.

It had been weeks since I'd last seen her.

I checked in on her randomly because, in some odd way, I felt responsible for what happened to her.

I'd come—maybe once a month—have breakfast or dinner, chat with her briefly and then leave. She'd sort of become a friend, I suppose. I'd been dropping them like flies since Sakura, but Amane had never judged me so I kept coming back – though I never stayed long, because everything about the girl reminded me of the night I fucked up my life.

Funny how things turn out though.

But I didn't need a friend right now. I needed a woman. I hadn't had one since Sakura, and she had already moved on while my life weltered away in the bottom of a bottle.

And Sakura wanted a fuckin' divorce.

"Hey, Sasuke, everything all right," Amane asked, carefully taking in my mood.

She was a pretty woman, not half as pretty as Sakura, but still attractive. Her platinum blonde hair was a shade darker now and her body had thickened up a bit, but she was still too skinny in my opinion. Her tits got bigger though. She had thinner lips than Sakura, her cheeks were less plump and more hollowed, her nose was narrower, though not big, and her eyes were smaller and dark brown, not emerald green.

Pretty, just not the pretty I loved.

But Amane was sweet and, more importantly, she was still sweet on me.

I stalked toward her and I watched her back grow rigid.

When I made it to her, I gripped her waist, turned her and shuffled her forward.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" she whispered, but I didn't respond. The few patrons eating lunch stared at us, but I kept pushing her forward until we hit the restroom door.

"Get inside," I ordered low and her head turned, her eyes hit mine and they widened a second before she complied. I pushed in behind her, and after a quick scan to make sure we were alone, I locked the door behind me.

"Sasuke, what are we doing in here?" she asked uncertainly.

I walked toward her.

She stepped back until her back hit the wall and she winced. I made it to her fast, pressed my chest in to hers, gripped her ponytail from the back and tilted her head up toward mine. She was taller than Sakura by a good four inches, which was exactly what I needed.

Different.

"You want me," I growled, and Amane's breathing grew faster. Oh yeah, she wanted me still. But, instead of answering, she asked, "What happened, Sasuke?"

That was the thing; I didn't want to talk about what happened. I wanted to forget what happened. I wanted to forget everything.

I crashed my lips to hers and swallowed her whimper in my mouth. Amane's hands grasped my waist, but it was light and hesitant, not frantic and needy. I slid my tongue inside and when I tasted her, I wanted to cry.

I did cry.

It wasn't the same.

I hated it, but I needed more at the same time. I dropped my hands from her ponytail and fumbled with the button of her jeans until they were undone, then I pressed my hips into hers.

"Sasuke," she breathed and I kissed her harder, but she wouldn't meet me like I needed her to.

Not like Sakura would have.

"Sasuke, stop," Amane ordered as she tore her mouth from mine.

I froze.

"Stop this, Sasuke," she whispered. "Don't do this to yourself. I don't want you this way and I know you don't want me at all."

I dropped my head to her shoulder and squeezed my eyes shut, but that didn't stop my tears.

I let a few more escape, before I took a deep breath to stop them.

Amane wrapped her arms around me.

"What happened, Sasuke? Talk to me. Is it Sakura?" she asked with worry.

God, she was a good person and I'd just treated her like a whore.

I exhaled so hard my chest hurt, before I pulled all the way back to look Amane in the eyes. She quickly wiped her mouth and buttoned up her jeans.

"Did I hurt you? Is your leg okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I'm so fuckin' sorry, Amane. I've been drinking since…" I swiped a hand down my face. "…I don't even remember the last time I was really sober," I groaned and Amane gave me a sweet smile that I absolutely did not deserve.

"It's okay, Sasuke. I knew you were hurting… I could see it on your face. What happened?"

"Sakura met someone. I met her for coffee—sissy fuckin' coffee—and she asked me for a divorce," I admitted, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

"Oh boy," Amane whispered. "Are you going to give her one?"

I froze.

Was I? Could I finally let Sakura go? Could I let someone else have her? Even if it was only holding on to her by a piece of paper?

"Fuck no," I growled, and to my surprise, Amane grinned.

"Good. Don't. Just go see her. Tell her exactly what happened and force her to listen."

I shook my head. "It's not that easy. She hates me. I killed our baby…she'll never forgive me. I can't even forgive myself."

"Hey," Amane said as she cupped my face with tenderness. "It wasn't your fault. There's a reason for everything, but with Sakura…don't give up hope. I have no idea what it's like to lose a baby the way she did, so I can only imagine the kind of pain she's gone through…and then add on top of that the shit with me…she'd probably kill me if she could. But if it's meant to be, she'll come back, Sasuke. In the meantime, don't give in and don't give up. And stop drinking. You stink."

I sighed.

"Why are you still single?" I asked, and her confidence disappeared as if on cue.

"I don't trust easily. You know that. Besides, I'm defective," she breathed and I lost her eyes.

"Amane, I'm so damn sorry. I wish I could feel more for you."

_God, that was such a shitty thing to say._

"Hey, it's not your fault." At my scowl, she smiled. "You're my friend. I know you only come in, maybe once or twice a month, but I still consider you my friend. You know that's more important to me…but listen real close, Sasuke…if Sakura comes back…when she comes back, I'll understand if you pretend I never existed."

"I–" She placed her finger over my lips.

"If she comes back in your life, you better fucking pretend I don't exist. She'll see me as the whore I was, not the person I am now."

"Damn it, you weren't a fuckin' whore, and Sakura's not like that. She'd never judge you that way."

_Why the hell am I defending her still?_

"Just promise me," she hissed, and I stiffened. "I don't want to be the reason she leaves you for a second time. I can't be. I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

I narrowed my eyes and lied, "Fine, I promise."

It didn't matter anyway, because Sakura wasn't coming back.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Two Weeks Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

I was so tired. Actually, exhausted was more like it.

I slammed the car door to my little 1968 Chevy Camaro shut, and hated the creaking sound it made. But I loved the way it looked…or I would when I could afford to buy her a new paint job. I sometimes wished I would have given in and let Sasuke buy me a new truck, but I had too much pride to take anything from him again.

Since I had not been talking to him, Sasuke had tried to be smooth when that insurance check had come in for the truck I'd totaled over a year and half ago by depositing it straight into my personal checking account. Like I'd never notice twenty-three thousand extra dollars.

_Idiot._

Looking back, I should have taken it all, but alas, I'd only taken enough to buy Cat.

Yes, I named my car Cat, 'cause swear to God, she purred like one.

After I bought her, I had a few important things done, like a new transmission, new tires and a complete check-up, but any and all money I had left over, I had transferred back into mine and Sasuke's joint account, and then closed my old personal one out and opened a new one.

I'd never wanted Sasuke's money.

I'd never wanted anything from him but love, which was exactly what made asking Sasuke for that divorce two weeks ago excruciatingly painful. I'd thought he might fight me, and truthfully, I'd hoped he would have. I'd wanted him to give me some kind of sign that he still cared about me, but he gave me nothing but anger instead.

He'd even called me a bitch…and…well, he'd always called women bitches, but never had he called me one.

And it had been like a slap in the face.

I'd also sort of figured he would have asked me about the guy I'd told him I was seeing—even though I'd only used him as an excuse—but Sasuke had only asked if I was serious about him.

Which of course I wasn't. I liked Ein a lot, but I was still in love with Sasuke and always would be.

When he'd stood from that table in Starbucks, I'd wanted to stop him and ask him how he could just walk away from me like I'd never existed, but I hadn't been able to bring myself to do it.

Plus, I already knew it was because he didn't care about me anymore.

I got to the front door of my studio apartment and saw something white taped to it. Probably just another apartment memo, I thought as I ripped it off the door and unlocked it to go inside. I walked in, hung my purse behind the door, took the paper with me and plopped down on the couch.

I flipped on the TV, put my legs up on the coffee table and opened the letter.

My heart sank at the sight of Ein's handwriting.

Sakura,

I'm sorry. I should have done this in person, but I couldn't find the courage. You know I hate to see you upset. I know it hasn't been long, but our relationship is no longer working for me. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. You're an amazing woman, but some things have come up and I have to leave. I've been offered a job in Boston and I'm taking it. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. I thought to ask you if you would move with me, but I realize that would be too unfair and selfish of me to ask that of you. Please find it in your heart to forgive me, but please, please, whatever you do, don't look for me.

I'm heartbroken,

Ein

I balled up the letter and threw it as hard as I could across the room.

_That motherfucker!_

I wasn't sad. I was fucking furious!

No, scratch that. I wasn't furious, but I should be. Actually, I was numb.

Who the hell breaks up with someone in a fucking letter? Hell, Sasuke probably broke up with his bitches better than that.

_Sasuke._

I froze.

Was it just coincidence that Ein left me this letter only two weeks after I asked Sasuke for a divorce?

Yes, it had to be.

The fact that Sasuke didn't care about me hurt one hundred times more than Ein's chicken-shit letter. And to throw insult on top of injury, Sai had told me all about Sasuke's new women. He had so many women now surely he'd be happy to get rid of me as a wife for good.

Or so I thought...

Five Months Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

"Mrs. Uchiha? Are you there?" My attorney, the one I could hardly afford, asked after I said nothing. I was so mad that I was shaking. My heart was pounding and sweat broke out all over my skin.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I understood you. Could you repeat that?" I asked and clenched the phone tighter.

"Sasuke isn't making this easy, Mrs. Uchiha. He's asking for access to any and all of your bank accounts, he wants the title to your car—which he says he paid for—he wants receipts for every article of clothing you own down to…your panties." He whispered that part uncomfortably. "He wants you to move back into the house in Clear Lake, but he's offered to move out, and he's also asking for spousal support—which I haven't quite figured out why he would do that other than to drag this divorce out. Texas law states that you must be married for ten years or more, or the spouse seeking support must have been a victim of domestic violence within the past two years prior to the filing date…" My attorney paused. "You didn't abuse him, did you?"

I growled audibly and squeezed my cell so tight, it's a wonder it didn't disintegrate.

"No, I didn't abuse him, but if I ever see him again, mark my words, I'm going to beat every ounce of arrogance and cockiness out of his _motherfucking ass!_" I finished on a shout, flipped my phone shut and threw it so hard it smashed into a million pieces.

"_Ugh_!"

I felt like I was choking, or suffocating.

I couldn't breathe.

_Why does he hate me so much?_

I would have called him and screamed at him if I hadn't just smashed my phone.

_Fuck!_

I wanted to drive over to his house and fuck him up, but that's exactly what he wanted. The arrogant asshole. He knew I couldn't afford this divorce. He knew I couldn't afford much of anything, which had to be exactly why he pulled this stunt; to torture me or punish me, or both.

Well, I was through with him. He wanted to stay married to me…

Fine. I didn't need the divorce. I wasn't ever getting married ever again anyway.

Men sucked.

Fuck him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Six Years Later

**Sakura Uchiha**

I was frozen, staring at Sasuke in horror and he looked like he wanted to strangle me.

I hadn't seen him in six years and he looked good, but he also looked furious… at me. Why?

Because I was shopping in the grocery store by his house?

He didn't own it.

And it wasn't my fault that we only lived fifteen minutes away from each other, and honestly, I was surprised I hadn't run into him sooner.

But I hadn't been expecting to see him with a beautiful woman who had mousy brown hair and bright hazel eyes.

They looked cute together and I glanced down to see they were holding hands.

I quickly looked away before I got caught.

I felt faint and could only imagine how pale I must have looked.

_Why did seeing him still hurt so much?_

"Nice to see you, _Rina_," Dan hissed in a snarky tone toward Sasuke's girlfriend and I looked at him. I'd completely forgotten he was standing next to me. "Waste no time moving from one guy to the next. Wasn't he the cop on my case?" Dan finished nodding in Sasuke's direction.

_Cop on my case?_

That was odd.

Dan was friends with my boyfriend, Soushi, and I'd only met Dan a couple times. I didn't know him well. I'd seriously just run into him in the canned foods aisle and he'd been following me around like a lost puppy ever since. But now, Dan was staring at this Rina woman with murder in his eyes.

I looked at Sasuke when he jerked his girlfriend out from behind their cart, never letting her hand go.

He got right in Dan's face and he towered over him.

"If I were you, I wouldn't even look at her," he growled as he nodded to the woman, Rina. "Unless you're ready to go back to jail, asshole. _And stay the fuck away from Sakura_," he finished in a roar and I gasped.

My back nearly broke it grew so rigid.

Something was very wrong here and it obviously had something to do with Dan and the woman Sasuke was with. I was curious to know what it was, but I couldn't very well ask.

Sasuke turned to me and clipped, "Let's go, I'm taking you home." The hand not holding his girlfriend's, wrapped around my waist and he ushered me forward while he dragged the woman behind him.

I didn't want to go with him, but somehow I knew it'd be useless to argue.

_Why me? Why did I pick today of all days to walk to this goddamn grocery store? Oh, that's right, because the one by my house was out of Oreos._

Damn cookies were going to be the death of me.

My stunned eyes looked back at Sasuke's girlfriend with guilt.

_Girlfriend_.

The word crawled over my skin like a spider. I cringed.

"I can walk without your help, thank you very much," I snapped at Sasuke, and his blazing eyes glared down at me.

"I think I know better than anyone just how well _you can walk_," he snapped back, his last words clipped, but he still didn't let me go. "Walking away was about the only thing you were good at."

I bit the inside of my cheek. His words cut me deep and I knew he said them exactly for that purpose. I swallowed hard and turned away from him, because I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing my eyes water

After six years, it still hurt.

"You're still an asshole," I said in an angry whisper.

"If that helps you sleep at night, Honey, then I'll be the biggest asshole you've ever met."

"Sasuke!" his girlfriend called out in shame. She was probably embarrassed. Either that or she was just now realizing how much of an asshole he really was.

"Stay out of it, Rina," Sasuke ordered and he twisted his neck her way. I was pretty certain I saw him glare at her, but I wasn't sure.

I kept quiet as we made it to his vehicle.

Sasuke put me in the backseat and made his girlfriend sit up front; obviously being his legal wife meant nothing to him.

Not that it ever did.

"Where am I taking you?" Sasuke asked like he really didn't know where I lived.

I rolled my eyes.

_Did he really think I didn't know that he drove by my apartment?_

No, he wasn't that stupid. He had to know that I was bound to see him since he'd been doing it for the past six years.

Yeah, he knew that I knew, but he obviously didn't want his girlfriend to know. I decided against starting a fight and gave him quiet directions to my apartment.

Sasuke didn't even have the Tahoe in park and I jumped out of it without so much as a 'thank you'. I ran up the steps and tried hard to make it inside my apartment before Sasuke could catch up to me. Not that I thought he would try, but I wasn't taking any chances.

"Sakura, do not go inside that fuckin' apartment," I heard Sasuke shout just as I made it to my front door.

_Damn._

I twisted my neck.

"Go away, Sasuke. It would be rude to keep one of your bitches waiting too long," I snapped, just before he stopped to stand right in front of me.

I had to look up. Way up.

"Why the fuck were you with Dan?" Sasuke asked and I narrowed my eyes.

How dare he?

"Hi, Sakura, how are you?" I asked sarcastically, before answering for him. "I'm fine, thanks for asking, Sasuke… You look well, Sakura. Why thank you, Sasuke, so do you, whoring fits you so well... Would you still like that divorce, Sakura? Why yes, yes I would, Sasuke."

His jaw clenched and I watched his body turn to stone.

"Since you touched on none of those subjects most normal people would after seeing somebody for the first time in six years, I'll tell you this… how I know Dan is none of your fucking business."

His breathing grew ragged and his already huge muscles strained. "It became my business when I saw you with a fuckin' piece of shit who beats women," he growled in my face.

I froze and breathed, "What?"

"He beat his ex-girlfriend, who just so happens to be my sister-in-law. So, you don't like my line of questioning after six years, too fuckin' bad."

I didn't catch anything after sister-inlaw.

_Oh my God!_

"How can you have a sister-in-law when we're still married? We are still married, aren't we?" I asked in a tortured whisper. Had he divorced me and I didn't know about it? Was that even possible?

Sasuke stared at me a minute and then suddenly, his face softened. I cringed when I realized my mistake.

"Baby–"

"Don't call me that," I snapped.

"Freckles, you're still my wife."

_Oh. Shit._

I nodded. I wasn't supposed to care, but no matter how many times I chanted that in my head, it didn't change the fact that I cared.

"So, how do you know Dan?" Sasuke continued to press, but he still hadn't answered the sister-in-law question.

Had he finally met his half-brother?

"Sakura, tell me. How do you know Dan?"

_Oh shit again!_

"Ummm… he's an acquaintance of my boyfriend. I've only met him a couple times," I answered in a whisper.

Sasuke's back straightened and his body stood taller. "Who's your fuckin' boyfriend?"

"Sasuke, I'm not telling you."

"You don't tell me, I'll find out on my own," he vowed.

I sighed. "Why do you care? Don't you have a woman sitting downstairs waiting for you? Or another twenty women lined up outside your house? Or do you only prefer strippers–"

I didn't get to finish, because Sasuke's mouth was suddenly covering mine. It happened so fast that I didn't know what to do.

"I fuckin' miss you," he breathed against my lips, and I felt tears prick my eyes as my double-crossing body relaxed into his.

I missed him too, but I'd never admit it to him.

Our kiss was soft, but needy and he cupped my face in his hands like he was desperate to touch me, but before I knew it, the kiss was over.

Sasuke lifted and my eyes flew open.

His amazing coal black eyes gazed into mine. He caressed my bottom lip with his thumb and my nose burned from the tears that stung. I was desperate for him, and I wanted him to tell me he still loved me. I knew it was stupid after six years, but I still loved him.

"I miss you too," I admitted, and my words came out broken.

I watched him stiffen as he studied my face closely. Then a second later, he opened his mouth and ruined everything when he said, "Have a nice life, Sakura."

_What? No!_

Before I could beg him to stay, he turned and jogged down the stairs. I watched him go until he made it to his vehicle, because my feet refused to move. It wasn't until he shut the driver's side door behind him that I walked inside my apartment.

The front door closed behind me and I collapsed to the floor.

**Whooo! How was it? Thank you for reading! Don't for get to review!**

**Laters :}**


	20. Chapter 20

**Ooookay! We are back to the present! Here's a chapter for you guys! ****Lotsa new characters added...** Hope you'll like it. 

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty**

Three Months Later

Present Day: The Morning After

**Sakura Uchiha**

Twenty-Six Years Old

My eyes flew open and a slight dizziness washed over me as I took in my surroundings; the nightstand, the lamp, the clock, the rock hard chest I was lying on, covered with a light sprinkling of hair…

_Oh no…Sasuke…_

I felt sick.

_What did I do_?

I mean, I knew what Sasuke and I did in the literal sense, but I also knew my life had just made a U-turn, turned right onto Crazy Street, and headed straight into the No-Deed Restricted neighborhood of Monumentally Fucked-up.

And I was currently wrapped around a whole lot of fucked up.

Not Sasuke wrapped around me, but me around him like a vine…or like a leech.

My cheek was on his chest and my left hand was wrapped underneath his right shoulder. His right arm was wrapped around my back. My right arm was wrapped around his torso and my right leg was wrapped around his right leg, and his left leg was pressing them together.

And we were both completely and utterly… naked. My girly part was pressed against his thigh and my traitorous body wanted to rub itself against him.

_Oh my God…I'm a megahoe._

I moved to lift my right arm off his stomach, but a vise-like grip entwined our fingers. Then Sasuke's body rolled and took me to my back and obsidian eyes stared into mine. I opened my mouth to protest, but it was instantly covered with soft, demanding lips. And then I felt a hand between my legs and I acted on my earlier need to rub myself against him.

He entered me with a finger.

"Sasuke, we can't do this," I whispered against his lips, slightly worried about my morning breath, but he obviously wasn't complaining.

His head lifted, but he didn't answer me and, instead, he lowered his mouth to my breasts. He licked and sucked and flicked the tips with his tongue, showing them both the same attention. His fingers at my core had me moaning and begging, "Sasuke, please."

He lifted, took my mouth again and with no warning at all, he entered me in one smooth glide. He captured my hands in his, laced our fingers and held tight. I wrapped my legs around his hips and met his slow, torturous motions.

He loved me with his body.

I closed my eyes and reveled in the tenderness radiating off him…

Until I felt something wet hit my cheek and my eyes flew open to see he was kissing me… crying. I broke my mouth free. He lifted his head, opened his watery eyes and they bore into mine.

I could see it all…his pain…his hurt…his longing…his regret…it was all clear as glass and my own eyes watered.

"Sasuke," I breathed.

"No, no words. I just need to feel you. Feel that you're real. I need my soul back," he whispered, before he dropped his head to my shoulder and breathed me in.

_Oh my God._

I closed my eyes and my fingers squeezed his.

He continued his slow, steady rocking for what felt like hours, but the whole time I felt so loved and so special that I never wanted him to stop.

The walls I'd built up over six years slowly crumbled to dust and I knew he felt it too. He picked up the pace and lifted his head to kiss me with starved hunger. My heels dug into the back of his thighs, urging him on and he took it, pumping fast.

Then suddenly, I wasn't on my back, but being lifted to straddle Sasuke's waist. He sat back on his heels, wrapped an arm around my hips and dipped the other into my hair. I grabbed his face and kissed him eagerly as I rode him hard. I was panting, out of control, and in this position, my sensitive flesh was being massaged just right.

"I'm so close," I breathed and Sasuke lifted his hips higher, and I ground down on him with everything I had.

"I can feel it…so fuckin' perfect," he groaned against my lips and a few seconds later…that was it. My arms wrapped around his neck, my nails dug into his back and I wrenched my mouth from his to bite his shoulder as I came harder than I ever had before.

His shoulder muffled my release.

"Sakura…shit," he hissed in my ear, his fingers pressed deep into my hips and I felt him spill inside me as I continued to rock on him, desperate to prolong my orgasm.

Finally, when I slowed down and it was all over, I released his shoulder from my teeth and could have sworn I blacked out. It was the only explanation. He'd always been good in bed, but I'd never had it that good.

_It's because he's had plenty of practice since me._

I stiffened, mortified at the thought. And then I was being picked up and carried.

"Nuh-uh, no fuckin' way, Baby. Do not get lost in that head of yours." He tapped my ass. "Wrap around me tightly," Sasuke ordered like I wasn't already holding on for dear life. He lifted and climbed off the bed in one smooth motion.

"What are you doing?"

"We're showering," he said as we entered the master bathroom. He put me on my feet, reached into the shower and turned it on. I covered my breasts with my arm, stood in place and watched him in all his naked glory. The muscles in his back were perfectly sculpted, and for a man, he actually had a nice round ass. You could even see the indention that dipped between his hipbone and his waist.

His thighs were thick and I already knew he had a washboard stomach, though I couldn't see it from where I was standing. When he stuck his hand under the water to check the water temperature, the muscles in his triceps were outlined to perfection.

And there I stood.

I didn't have a perfectly sculpted anything. I was short, thick in the hips, round on the bottom, heavy on the top and my triceps sure as shit didn't show just by sticking my arm out. My only halfway decent feature was my flat stomach, but even that wasn't defined in any way. It didn't matter that I worked out four times a week and ate fairly decent, I was still never going to look good standing next to Sasuke.

I never had.

"Baby, you okay?" Sasuke asked, cutting off my inner bully and I met his eyes.

"Uhhh…yeah. Why don't you go ahead and shower? I'll just wait–" I stopped when he took a step.

"And have you run off on me? I don't think so. And stop hiding yourself from me." He grabbed my hand—the hand that was attached to the arm covering my breasts–and tugged.

"Sasuke, stop," I rushed when he started pulling me toward the shower. "I don't want to shower with you; it's too…intimate."

He whipped around.

"What the fuck?" he breathed. "We just had sex. What's more intimate than that?"

"Still the same jerk," I muttered and he stiffened. "Sex is sex, and that's all we had, Sasuke. Something you do the same with everyone else isn't considered intimate. Showering together is intimate."

"You know, Freckles, you're right. But what we just had wasn't sex… that was makeup sex."

I gasped. "No it wasn't! That was letting-you-have-your-way-with-me-so-you'd-finally-divorce-me sex!"

When I finished, I snapped my mouth shut and my lips thinned when I realized too late just how stupid I sounded.

"Excuse me," he growled.

_Oh no._

"Never mind," I rushed.

"No, explain right the fuck now, Sakura, but I'll warn you. It won't matter what you say 'cause what's done is done."

"Now what does _that _mean," I snapped back.

"What that means is your fate is sealed. You're staying. Whatever the fuck you have with Soushi… that prick," he muttered, before continuing, "…is finished. You'll get your stuff, your clothes and you'll move back in here…to _your _house…to _this _house." He pointed to the floor. "You don't want this house anymore or if it brings back too many bad memories for you, we'll buy a new one. But you can be mad at me, you can hold your grudge, you can continue to hate me for the past, but you're gonna do all that in the same motherfuckin' house I'm in."

I stared at him in complete and utter shock. It was the only thing I could do in that moment. We stood in the bathroom completely naked about to throw down and I wanted nothing more than to rip his arrogant head off. I knew it was ridiculous, but a piece of me—a small sliver of a piece— missed this.

Our spark.

That was what we always had between us, a spark that, when put together, was electrifying…or electrocuting.

I was sick in the head.

"Turn off the shower," I ordered deceivingly low.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and he didn't move right away, but after a stare down that only lasted seconds, he caved. While he did that, I snatched a towel from the rack and wrapped it around myself as though it was some sort of shield.

Then, I stormed out of the bathroom, made it to the middle of the room, turned, and not surprisingly, Sasuke was right on my heels.

Still naked.

"Can you put on some clothes or something?" I asked and he frowned and looked down at himself. He scanned the floor, picked up the boxer briefs I assumed he was wearing last night, and put them on.

"Okay, spit it out so we can get this shit out of the way and move on with our day," he said in a huff after he finished.

"You're such an asshole. After six years, you're still the same asshole!"

"No, after six years, I'm still _your _asshole. That's why you're so pissed. Because you're just now realizing you could have been with me this whole time."

"_Oh my God! _You're not my anything, Sasuke! What is the matter with you? You always were the caveman type, but this is taking it a little too far… even for you. It's been six years. I'm nothing to you except the lowly wife you refuse to divorce, and you're nothing to me except the man who ripped me to shreds. And stop pretending the sex we just had was more than it was when you're in this house with a different piece of ass every night and have been since the day I fucking left. All I'm asking from you is to sign a little piece of paper that will get us out of the mess we never should have gotten ourselves into."

And with that, his lips tipped up and he snorted.

My eyes grew huge, but his conceit fueled my wrath. "Have you lost your mind?" I shouted.

He shook his head and smiled like he just had an epiphany. "Nope. What I lost was you, but now you're back, and now I'm not letting you leave me."

I closed my eyes and took a few…no numerous deep breaths before I decided to continue with this insane, seemingly one-sided, conversation.

"Please listen to me. I'm not just mad at you, I actually hate you. There is no _us_, never will be. You broke me in places that can never be repaired. You lied to me, you cheated on me… whether it was a case or not, but what's worse is you did it all at a time when I needed you most. I was pregnant and scared—we were newly married and I was sad, because I couldn't make you happy. I needed you. Looking back, you could have walked out the door or kicked me out at that time and I wouldn't have been as crushed."

"Baby—"

"And all the women after me…God! I lost my baby, and your mom passed away and only months later you were bringing women here like what we had meant nothing to you. I was such a fool!"

His cocky smile turned into a scowl. "Our baby," he growled. "And what the hell are you talking about? What women?" he snapped at me, but I shook my head.

"It doesn't matter."

"Sakura, what fuckin' women? I've only had three other women in this house, one of them my mom, the other two I didn't fuck. When I got laid, I got a hotel room or I went to her place."

I slammed my eyes shut.

"And I didn't check the exact date, but I didn't touch another woman until the day you asked me for a divorce. So tell me… what fuckin' women are you talking about?"

"You're a liar," I whispered. "Will you ever stop lying?"

His body visibly went rigid. "I've never lied to you. I made bad decisions. I kept things from you that had to do with a case—one that I took for the wrong reasons. I was fucked in the head after you got pregnant and I realized too late that I was losing you, but I have _never _lied to you."

I shook my head and continued speaking in a low, painful whisper, "Sai told me. He wouldn't lie to me. I was desperate to come back. Even after everything you did to me, I wanted to come back and beg you to take me back. That's when he told me. To save me. It was only a couple months after your mom passed. Sai said he saw you out, followed you home and that you weren't alone."

I kept shaking my head. "Sai would never lie to me," I finished, but all Sasuke did was stare.

"Are you fuckin' kidding me right now?" he asked with a hint of danger.

I just shook my head.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill him," he muttered, before roaring, "I'm gonna fuckin' _kill _him!"

He walked toward me, and for every step he took, I took a step back until my back hit the wall. He didn't stop until he was cupping my face and tilting it up to meet his.

"Other than going to work, I didn't leave this house for months. I was sick and depressed… Hell, I was suicidal. I lost you and I thought I killed my baby, Sakura. You seriously think I'd bring bitches home so soon after that?"

I didn't know what to think. Why would Sai lie? He wouldn't.

"I didn't sleep with another woman until after we met and you asked me for a divorce. I won't lie about that. I'll also tell you that I've been with plenty women since then, but probably a hell of a lot less than you think. I didn't realize it until I saw you sitting in that room last night, but I was only passing the time, Sakura. And the only reason I hadn't realized it sooner was because I never thought I'd get another chance with you."

"You don't have another chance with me," I whispered and I watched, in slow motion, as Sasuke's lips tipped up.

"Yeah, Freckles, I do and I'm taking it."

I shook my head in a mixture of denial, confusion and just plain terror.

"I need to go home."

"You are home," Sasuke replied, so fast it was like he's had the answer his whole life.

_Oh my God._

Tears pricked my eyes.

"This isn't my home. I've never had one," I breathed and watched as his expression grew tender.

"Yeah, Freckles, you did and you do, and that home has always been with me. So get your shit together and get over whatever doubts you have going on in that head of yours and realize that. And while we're at it, I have plenty of money and a lot of friends, some of those friends are lawyers and judges. You don't play this my way, I will play dirty. I'll make sure you're ordered to live in this house with me. Either that, or I'll burn your place down."

I gasped. "You're insane. Can you ever just act like a normal guy instead of a cocky asshole?"

"Nope, then you wouldn't like me so much."

I sighed. "That's the thing, Sasuke... I don't like you at all. I hate you, which is exactly why I'm not staying here...ever."

I said I hated him, and I did, but why didn't I feel as strongly about it?

"Fine, I'll stay with you." And as soon as the words left his mouth, I felt my world crashing around me. I felt sick.

"You can't. Can we please stop talking about this?" I begged.

"I can–"

"I'm moving in with Soushi," I blurted out. Sasuke's hands fell away from my face like I burned him. The devastation on his face rocked me on my feet, but I hadn't meant to say that.

Soushi had asked me to move in with him, but I hadn't said yes.

"You love him," he accused.

_No!_

I wanted to scream, but I couldn't even open my mouth for fear I'd shout, "_I love_ _you!"_

I didn't love Soushi. There was no way I'd ever be able to love anyone other than Sasuke, but I couldn't go back. How ridiculous would I be if I admitted that I still loved him after six years? And our past? I still wasn't over it and wasn't sure I ever could get over it. He'd hurt me so badly I was surprised the scars hadn't magically engraved themselves into my face for the world to see.

We couldn't just change an entire past with one night. And there were still so many unanswered questions.

"Get dressed and I'll take you _home," _he spat the word. "Unless you'd rather me call Soushi to come get you."

"Please stop. It's been so long...six years, Sasuke. You moved on...you never came for me. What was I supposed to do? I had to move on too."

"Do I look like I fuckin' moved on? Jesus, you're still the most hard-headed woman I've ever met! Did you ever stop to think that maybe I refused to sign the divorce papers because that fuckin' piece of paper was the only way I could hold on to you? I still keep all the furniture in this house the exact same way you left it. And the only reason I didn't come for you is because of _what I_ _did_," he roared, jabbing his finger in his chest.

"I thought you were better off without me. But you know what? I'm done. I'm a fuckin' idiot and always have been. When you're dressed, I'll take you home. And don't worry about the divorce papers, I'll have some drafted and sent to you."

And with that he stormed away and my sob broke free.

Five minutes later, I got Sai's voicemail.

"Sai, it's me," I said softly into the phone. "I'm okay, I'm still at Sasuke's, but I'm about to go home. I'll call you again when I get there, but I really need to talk to you. Sasuke told me things…I just need to hear the truth from you," I finished in a desperate whisper.

…**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review! Also I'll be posting one chapter per day from now on (unless the chapter is short, I'll make it two)..**

**Laters! :}**


	21. Chapter 21

**Good morning, good afternoon, good evening! Here's another chapter for you guys! Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

_Infuriatingly psychotic knife-wielding maniac_!

Cutting up shit one minute, fucking my brains out, being vulnerable, pissing me off and then finishing it all off with a crying jag. But _fuck _if I didn't love every single one of her multiple personalities. Half the reason I always said the wrong things around her was because she knew how to flip my switch. To see idiot—flip here.

Every stupid word that flew out of my mouth was her fault. Her fault! There, I said it. Everything that was wrong with me was her fuckin' fault 'cause she had that beautiful face, that pink hair and that _mouth_.

I needed a beer.

No, I needed a goddamn keg to deal with her little ass and it wasn't even noon yet.

I squeezed the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white, trying to decide what in the hell I was gonna do. I wasn't divorcing her—that was out of the question—but I had to figure out a way to get her back and saying stupid shit—again, was her fault—wasn't going to help my case.

I glanced at her again.

She wouldn't even look at me, choosing instead to stare out the passenger window as I drove her to her goddamn apartment.

She was wearing the same clothes she wore last night and the small view of her face that I could see was red from crying, which made me feel even more like a total asshole.

And fifteen minutes later, when I pulled up to her place, I hadn't figured out a damn thing.

When I put the truck in park, her eyes hit my face, but they skittered away, so fast I never got to make eye contact.

"Sakura, I'm sorry," I said low, but loud enough to hear.

She didn't even look at me as she whispered, "I'm sorry too."

She moved to unbuckle her seatbelt, but I stopped her by covering her hand with mine.

"Sasuke, please," she whispered in desperation.

"We're not done. Not even close, Baby. No divorce. I'll find a way to get you back—"

"I haven't told him yes," she whispered and my heart stopped.

"What?"

"Soushi asked me to move in with him, but I never told him yes. I just told you that because I was scared and you were pushing me." She sighed. "I need to think, Sasuke, and I need to do it without you around. You're just so…overwhelming. And you were wrong about what you said earlier, I don't love Soushi, because if I did, I never would have cheated on him with you."

"Goddamn it, Sakura. You can't cheat with your own husband."

"Sasuke, please stop acting like years haven't passed between us. You came back into my life by accident just last night, and now you're refusing to leave? If everything you said earlier was true, that you never got over me, then why let all this time pass? I can't help but think it's because you just found out about Soushi and don't want someone you actually know moving in on your property."

My teeth hurt from clenching so hard. "You know that's not true."

"Do I?"

"Sakura, I don't want to let you go, because I still love you."

"Do you, Sasuke? Do you love me, or do you love the memory of me? Because really, you don't know me anymore."

"Yes—"

"No, don't say anything. Just think about that. You love a memory of me…a memory that holds a lot of guilt and regret that's now leaking into the present because we haven't seen each other in so long."

"So what you're saying is you don't love me?" I asked because what she said was a two-way street.

"No, I've never stopped loving you, Sasuke," she admitted in a soft, resigned tone. "But it's different now. I don't know you anymore than you know me. Up until the day I left, I used to look at you and get butterflies in my stomach. My world revolved around you. I worshiped you and ate up every bit of attention you showed me. But now when I look at you, all I feel is fear and anger and sadness and…lost. It's difficult to wade through all of my pain to get to the love that I have for you now, but it is still there. I just don't know how to stop hurting, or if I ever will."

"You will. We both will. As soon as you come back to me. And if it's not tonight, I'll come for you tomorrow."

She blinked a few times. "Did you not hear anything I just said? I need time."

I shook my head. "I'll give you tonight, but I'm coming back tomorrow. We've already wasted six years because we both have too much pride, and I don't want to waste one more day. But for you, I'll give you just that. One day."

"My God," she breathed. "You haven't changed at all, have you?" She made it sound like I had a disease.

"No, I haven't changed, but I have learned not to make the same mistakes twice. I'll be here tomorrow."

"Well the same goes for me. No more mistakes. You can't force me to come back, Sasuke." And with that, she threw the door open, jumped out of the truck, and ran up the stairs without looking back. I just watched her go and fought the urge to follow her until I couldn't fight it anymore.

She opened her front door and damn near fell inside. I jumped out of my truck, because I refused to let the morning end like this.

But by the time I made it halfway up the stairs, I changed my mind and turned to go back. I'd only piss her off more and she'd asked for time.

Tomorrow was time enough.

And then I was running as if the devil himself was on my heels and fire filled my veins.

"I don't know!" I heard Sakura's scream again.

My heart pounded behind my chest and blood rushed through ears from adrenaline. Only when I made it to the front door, did I realize it was left open and I barreled through.

Sakura was against the wall being held up by her neck with tears in her eyes, and rage seeped out of every pore in my body.

Her attacker turned, spotted me, let Sakura go and she fell to the floor. I didn't pause, didn't even have time to think and I was rushing toward him with every ounce of power I possessed. He moved to run around me, but I tackled him. Both of us grunted and he struggled, but I wrestled him to the floor.

I vaguely heard Sakura rushing around and then I heard her voice giving her address and my name, but I couldn't concentrate on anything but ripping apart the son of a bitch who touched her.

"Get off me," he grunted and struggled, and then he shoved and swiveled, swung and missed.

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill you," I vowed as I swung and landed a right, and then another right, and I kept going until he stopped struggling as much. I hit him and hit him and hit him until he was no longer moving.

"Sasuke, stop!" Sakura shouted, and I hit him one more time, before my arm was caught mid-air.

I twisted, more than ready to keep slamming my fist into someone's face, when I realized it was a uniformed officer.

"Calm down, Sergeant, you're gonna kill him," the uniform said, which pissed me off because that was exactly what I wanted to do. I ripped my arm from his grasp and rose to my knees, still high on adrenaline. I looked down at the unmoving asshole who deserved to die and wished I had it in me to murder him in front of others.

"No, I want to see him!" I heard Sakura's frantic scream from somewhere behind me and I pushed to my feet and twisted around to find my woman, but I couldn't see her.

Another uniform was standing in front of her, blocking my view, trying to escort her outside and I could tell she was struggling against him.

"Let her go," I barked to the uniform's back and he spun around. When his eyes hit mine, his body visibly stiffened, surely from seeing the pure fury on my face.

Sakura wasted no time, shoved out from his hold and ran. She slammed into my chest, jumped into my arms and I buried my face in her neck to breathe her in as I squeezed her tight.

"Tell me you're okay. Tell me right fuckin' now, Baby," I ordered, needing to hear her voice.

"I'm okay...I'm okay. You came back for me," she breathed, and kissed my neck, before trailing her lips higher. I lifted just enough to crash my lips to hers quickly, needing to know she was really with me…really okay, but when reality started sinking in, I pulled back.

"Let's get out of here. I don't want you inside if he wakes up," I told her and she whispered, "Okay."

I scanned the room on the way out and noticed it wasn't just trashed, it was fuckin' demolished. Furniture shredded, lamps shattered, cupboards open, and items scattered across the floor. There were even holes punched in the walls, but I didn't have time to process it all because, thirty seconds later, Sakura and I were standing outside the apartment complex on the ground floor.

"I'm gonna need to go back to talk to the officers in a minute, Sakura, but can you tell me what happened? What was he saying?"

At my question, she blinked rapidly and a single tear slid down her face as she whispered, "I'm so sorry."

I pulled her into my arms again. "Don't do this, Baby. It's not your fault."

She shook her head against my chest and whispered, "Yes it is. He was asking for Soushi."

I stiffened and my hands fisted behind her back as I repeated Soushi's name over in my head and pictured his motherfuckin' face.

"Excuse me?"

She pulled away from me completely and looked apprehensive.

"I have no idea who that guy is." She glanced up to the apartment door. "I've never seen him before." She closed her eyes for the briefest second and when they opened, they were filled with pain. "He yanked me inside as soon as I opened the door and started asking me where Soushi was. I told him Arizona, but it wasn't good enough. He kept pressing me into the wall...demanding I tell him where Soushi is, but I couldn't tell him because I swear I don't know," she cried.

I tugged her to my chest again and she wrapped her arms around my waist.

Whoever that guy was, he hadn't just been looking for Soushi. He was looking for something that belonged to him, and immediately, I knew. It happened all the time with narcotics officers...taking pay offs, pushing drugs, seeing easy, fast money–lots of money—and Soushi—that motherfucker –just involved the one person that meant everything to me.

"Hey, look at me," I ordered and to my surprise, Sakura lifted her head and beautiful, big, dark green eyes locked on mine, calming me instantly. "Don't think about it right now. Let me talk to the officers first and we'll figure this out later."

"Okay," she whispered.

I bent, kissed her, and hated the taste of fear on her lips, so I deepened the kiss and gave her a long, sweet caress.

"Da-yum, boss man! Ain't you supposed to _be _investigating, not _doin' _the investigating? I get you're on vacation and all that shit, but still... beatin' people up, uniforms all around, and still stickin' your tongue down Pinky's mouth."

_Ino Fuckin' Yamanaka_.

Sakura ripped her lips from mine and I closed my eyes and groaned at the loss.

_It just gets worse._

"This is exactly why I didn't want a woman for a partner," I muttered to myself.

"Oh, boy, please, you know you love me. Now, what the hell happened here?" she asked, walking closer. I hugged Sakura tighter to my body. Yamanaka saw my reaction, scowled and stopped to stare.

"Is she all right?" she asked, her voice having lost all sarcasm and replaced with concern. She glanced at Sakura, who was now resting her head on my chest.

"Freckles, you with me?" I asked and Sakura nodded, but she wouldn't look at me. I pulled a hand back to lift her face, but it froze mid-air when I saw the blood covering my knuckles.

_Shit!_

I dropped both of my hands to my side.

"Sakura, I need you to let me go for a minute so I can go back upstairs."

She shook her head and I looked to Ino who gave me raised brows. At that exact moment, more officers arrived, as did EMS, who were now about to start catering to the asshole upstairs.

"Come on, Baby. I'll only be gone a couple minutes. I have blood on my hands and I don't want it touching you," I said softly. I felt her take a deep breath before she pulled back, and to my surprise, she wasn't crying, but she did look upset.

"Ino, can you stay with her?" I asked, and Sakura turned. "Sakura, this is Ino Yamanaka, my partner. Ino, this is Sakura, my wife."

"Sasuke," Sakura muttered in warning.

"So it's true? You and Pinky here are really married?" Yamanaka asked in surprise.

I rolled my eyes while speaking, "Yes, we're really married."

"But...but there were other _women_..." She said the word like it left a bad taste in her mouth. "…and you were married this whole time?"

Sakura's body locked tight.

"Goddamn women," I muttered to myself before talking to my partner. "Nice to know we have partner solidarity and all that shit, Ino. Thanks a lot."

"Oh, puh-lease! Female solidarity will always trump man-whore solidarity. If I'd known you were married, I'd have knocked some sense into your overactive libido's ass."

"I think I'm going to be sick," Sakura muttered and I looked at her. Her face was pasty white and she was breathing hard.

I groaned. "Ino, either shut the hell up or get the hell out of here," I barked, before I faced my heart. "Sakura, Baby—"

"Just…Shut up, Sasuke. I need to sit down," she finished, before facing Ino. "We're married only because he refuses to divorce me, but we're not together. And believe me, I've tried to divorce him. I even had break-up sex with him last night...and this morning, but it only seems to have made things worse. Nice to meet you."

Ino looked at her like she was crazy and it was my turn to sigh hard. I wanted so badly to rub a hand over my head and down my face, but I couldn't because it was bloody.

"Ino, stay with her so I can take care of this and make some calls. Sakura, I'll be right back, but be prepared. You're gonna have to tell me what you know."

She closed her eyes, waited a second, opened her eyes and nodded.

Four minutes later, I walked down the outside stairs and headed back to my woman, who was now sitting on a park style bench looking lost and tired. Ino stood off to the side pacing and talking on her cell phone, making wild hand gestures.

"Freckles, you okay?" I asked and she looked up. Her face was still pale, eyes still troubled. "You don't look so good, Sakura. You need water or something?"

"I told her what happened," she said, nodding toward Ino, whose blazing eyes hit mine and I read in them that whatever Sakura told her wasn't good.

"I can see that," I replied and then mouthed, "I'm taking her," to Ino.

Then, I held out a hand for Sakura and she took it. I continued to talk as we walked to my truck.

"We need to go to the station so you can give a formal statement. Internal Affairs already knows what happened here and they're gonna meet us there."

I stopped talking when we reached my truck. I opened the door for her, she climbed in and I shut her door and walked around to the driver's side.

"Do I have to go to the station?" she asked in a quiet voice just as I started the truck and I froze.

"You're gonna protect Soushi? He brought this shit on you and you're going to protect him?" I asked in a near shout and her eyes widened in surprise.

"What...no…brought all what shit on me?" she rambled, her voice an octave higher than before. "I just...I never got to shower and I don't want everyone to see me wearing the same clothes I wore yesterday. They're going to know we slept together."

I stared.

Then I blinked.

"You're worried someone will know that you slept with your husband?"

"I really wish you would stop saying that," she hissed. "Stop calling us husband and wife. It sounds ridiculous. And don't yell at me like that again."

"Baby, you bit me," I said, and her eyes flew from mine and went straight to my shoulder where her teeth marks were probably still embedded in my skin.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

I gripped the collar of my shirt and pulled it aside. "Is it still red?"

"Oh my God!" Her eyes grew huge and she ripped the collar out of my hand to pull it back further. "You can still see my teeth marks…like I was a dog!"

"Well there you go, Freckles. Keep thinking about me showing that off to the guys at work, and that should take your mind off what you're wearing. "

She gasped.

**:) *sniffle* thank you for reading and don't forget to review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi! Another chapter for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**Sakura Uchiha**

I was exhausted, starving and really starting to get pissed. Other than a small sandwich around one this afternoon, I hadn't eaten anything. Though, three cans of Coke did serve to fill me up in the meantime, but my body was shutting down. I glanced at the wall for the millionth time.

Six o'clock.

I've been here six hours, though, only about three have been spent actually questioning me.

"Mrs. Uchiha—" The overly annoying Internal Affairs investigator started, and the hold I had on my patience snapped like a twig.

"Haruno! I keep telling you people... it's Mzzzz... Haruno... _Haruno_! Do I need to spell it out for you? H-A-R-U-N-O. Surely it can't be that hard to remember," I snapped.

I was tired of feeling like a criminal. Soushi had apparently gotten himself into a shit load of trouble with money and drugs—they wouldn't say exactly how—but because of my relationship with the bastard, they were making me feel like his accomplice.

I still couldn't imagine Soushi getting involved with drugs, but what the hell did I know anymore? My feelings were so conflicted, but with the way the investigators were treating me, I wanted to break Soushi's neck for putting me in this position.

"I apologize, Ms. Haruno," Investigator Shiina said softly as I stared him down. He was cute too, all sandy-blonde spiky hair, caramel-colored eyes, strong jaw, maybe five-ten, maybe muscular behind his buttoned-down shirt, maybe mid-forties...maybe a complete asshole. "I'm trying to get you out of here as fast as I can, but we have to get every bit of information from you that we can. You'd be surprised that the littlest thing could help us the most."

I sighed and waved his apology away. "I understand, really I do, but I can't even think straight anymore. I'm starving and I want to go home...well, I don't really have a home right now, but I want to get out of here," I whined on the verge of crying. "I swear I'm not a criminal. I'm a travel agent. That's how I met Soushi, when he was planning a trip to Arizona to visit family –or so he said. I told the other investigator this. I've only been with Soushi...maybe a little over four months, but he goes to Arizona a lot so we've probably only been together a total of three months if you count the exact number of days," I said, "we've been together."

"I understand and I apologize. I have just one more question: When was the last time you heard from Soushi Makajima? By phone or text?"

_Oh shit!_

Out of everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours, I never once thought about Soushi calling. I mean I did, but it never dawned on me that he hadn't called to check in once since last night.

"Yesterday, around six? I'm not sure. Soushi knew I was going out with a couple friends after work to celebrate a promotion. He called to check in and to make sure I was okay. And then around nine he sent a text message saying he was going back to his hotel for the night and told me he loved me," I finished, feeling sick. Soushi was always so sweet and I'd cheated on him with Sasuke last night.

I didn't want to tell the investigator that, even though he probably already knew, but my voice got low when I said, "I haven't heard from him since."

Investigator Shiina gave me a nod. "All right, Sakura. I'm going to talk to my partner. I shouldn't be much longer. The only thing I ask is that you call me if Soushi calls you and do it as soon as he calls you. It'd be so much easier –for him—if he turned himself in."

I sighed again. "What do I say to him if he calls? As much as I want to tell him to go to hell, I also want to know that he's okay."

Investigator Shiina smiled. "If he calls, tell him you were attacked, tell him you're scared. Make a play to his emotional side. Then, explain the mess he got you in and ask him to turn himself in. But, whatever you do, don't let him guilt trip you in to doing anything irrational for him because you feel sorry for him. And if that's not enough, I'm sure Uchiha can coach you through what to say," he finished and I nodded, even though I didn't realize I was doing it.

"I'm going to step out now." He stood from his chair and walked to the door. "Just a little more time and I'll get you out of here."

And with that, he walked out...

_For forty fucking minutes_.

I couldn't sit still any longer.

I stood up, stretched my legs, and decided to walk to the door. I knew there was a camera in the room watching my every move, but I didn't care. I grabbed the handle, just to check to see if it was unlocked, because I wanted out of there, so badly I could almost taste freedom. I turned the knob and, to my surprise, it clicked opened.

My heart picked up speed and now I really did feel like a criminal, but truth be told, it was a little exhilarating. I wondered for a moment if I could make an escape. I pulled the door open further and there, standing in front of me with raised eyebrows to his hairline, was Investigator Shiina.

"Everything all right, Mrs. Uchiha?" he asked politely which had me narrowing my eyes on his face. I was so annoyed, frustrated and disappointed, I didn't even bother correcting his use of the wrong last name again. Instead, I stepped outside the room and into the hallway.

"No, everything is not all right. I've been here six flippin' hours and I'm starving," I snapped. "Do I need an attorney or something? Because really, I feel like a criminal. I mean I could have had my cellmate's name tattooed on my neck in Old English lettering for as long as I've been in here. At least my skin would have something to show for doing all this time, because my stomach sure as hell doesn't."

The investigator looked stunned for a moment, and then he smiled.

I glared.

"Was that funny?" I asked, offended.

"Actually, it kinda was," he said, lips still tipped up and I growled. Men were idiots.

"Can I go now please? I'm really tired and I really don't have anything else to tell you people."

He raised his brows again. "That's the second time you've said 'you people'."

I responded on a long exhale. "Yes, you people. Cops. Detectives. Investigators. Whatever the fuck. You're all arrogant, trouble-making, cocky, assholes who think the world revolves around you."

His grin widened when he pointed out, "You like cops, though."

"See what I mean…jerk," I whispered to myself, and I watched him bite his lip, probably to keep from laughing. Then, I watched his eyes veer to the right and over my shoulder, but they came back to me, so fast I almost didn't catch the movement.

"Mrs. Uchiha, here's my card," he said as he handed it to me.

I looked at it a second before snatching it out of his hand.

"It's Haruno," I mumbled, obviously to myself, because it seemed Officer Asshole never listened.

"Don't forget what I told you to do if Soushi calls, and if you need anything at all, or if you have information for me, please call me right away."

"Can I just change my number?" I asked. I let my eyes plead with him, but all he did was chuckle.

"No, Sakura. Soushi's trouble runs deeper than the department. We have an idea who he's involved with, and if we're right, it's better if we get him to come in before he gets himself killed…if he hasn't already."

My body jerked at the image that put in my head. This was unbelievable. "I have a bad feeling about this," I whispered.

"Look, don't worry about it, don't stress about it. Stay with Sasuke. He'll keep you safe. And I'm sure with a bite like yours, you can take care of yourself."

I felt winded by the strategically timed remark that felt like a sucker punch. I had a feeling it had been meant to take my mind off the bad, but the meaning behind it infuriated me.

_That motherfucker!_

Sasuke really did show people my bite mark. I was going to _beat his ass_!

_Ugh!_

And then I felt it, the change in energy, and I knew he was there. He'd probably been standing there the whole time. Of course he would have been.

He was Sasuke. Enough said.

But I wasn't going to let him get away with this.

I looked up into the grinning investigator's face and gave him a seductive smile in return. I took a step forward into his personal space and his grin fell flat. I lifted a hand to his neck and I watched as his body jerked. I traced my finger from his neck to his collar bone and purred, "You want my bite?"

"Sakura, quit fuckin' around!" Sasuke shouted at my back and I could hear him storming my way. I dropped my arm and smirked.

I leaned in to hiss in the investigator's face, "If there is a next time, I'm not just going to bite him…I'm going to rip out his jugular."

I turned and ran smack dab into a wall of hard chest. My eyes skimmed up to Sasuke's face and kept going until they met obsidian eyes, burning so heatedly they could melt ice. His eyes left mine to glare at the investigator behind me and, seconds later, I heard him retreat.

"You're an asshole," I hissed and he grabbed my chin gently to tilt my head higher. He placed a deep, soft kiss on my lips, and when he lifted, he looked down at me with a face full of concern.

"You have a small red mark where that asshole touched you," he said, so roughly I was momentarily caught off guard.

And then my stomach growled and I remembered to be pissed.

"Freckles, you still ignoring me?" Sasuke asked for the eighth time since leaving the station. I just kept peering out the window with my arms crossed over my chest. He was an idiot and obviously thought I was too. Of course I was ignoring him, and no matter how much I wanted to acknowledge his presence, that would only defeat the purpose... of ignoring him.

"Baby, it was a joke. I didn't really show him your bite mark. I've known him for years."

Oh, like knowing him for years should make a difference. Though, Sasuke not actually showing him the bite did make me feel a little better.

"Do you want me to stop and pick up food or do you want to sit down somewhere?"

_Really?_

No matter how loud my stomach growled, I'd starve before I opened my mouth to speak to him. I wouldn't even open my mouth to tell him I didn't want to stay at his house, which was exactly where I knew we were headed.

"Okay, fine, you twisted my arm. I'll cook for you," he answered his own question, and at that exact moment, his phone rang. I didn't look, but I could hear him searching his pockets for it.

A couple rings later, it stopped, only to start up again right away.

"Jesus," I heard him mutter, but I still didn't look at him. This time he must have hit a silence button, because the ringing stopped mid-ring.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again, and I glared at him. This time, he answered.

"Babe, I'm kinda busy," he answered, and every muscle in my body tightened.

_Oh my God!_

Through the phone, I could hear a woman's voice on the other end of the conversation, but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

"No," he said.

"I'll tell you about it later," he sighed.

"I said no," he growled.

"It's not the right time," he sighed again.

"Can we please just drop this for now?" Silence for a beat as the woman spoke in a rapid rant. We turned into his neighborhood and, suddenly, I wasn't so hungry anymore. "Damn it, I'm just about to pull up to my house. I'll call you later," he finished and hung up. My hands fisted. I was dying to ask who that was on the phone, but I already knew.

One of his many women, I was sure.

"Sasuke, I'd like to go to a hotel please," I said, deciding it was finally time to break my silence. Sasuke glanced at me with narrowed eyes and muscle ticked in his jaw.

"No," he growled, and faced the road again.

"Sasuke –"

"No, Sakura. I'm not taking you to a fuckin' hotel," he snapped, and I closed my mouth. We pulled into his driveway and I decided I was never talking again for the rest of my life.

When we walked into the house, Sasuke turned on all the lights and I scanned my surroundings like I'd never been here before. I felt lost. To my right, was the living room, where most of the decorations were now smashed on the floor. To my left, was the kitchen, and straight ahead were the stairs. Alongside the stairs was a hallway, and that hallway led into what I remembered as the family room, or entertainment room.

But instead of moving to any of those rooms, I just stood in place not knowing what to do or where to go, in this house, or in my life.

Until I felt a hand grab mine.

I looked up to the left where Sasuke stared down at me with tenderness.

"Come on," he said as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the stairs.

I went willingly, following behind him until we walked through his bedroom to the bathroom. Sasuke let my hand go, turned on the shower, stuck his hand in the water and waited until the temperature was to his liking before he came back to me.

"Shoes off, Baby," he ordered in a voice so soft it sent shivers down my spine. I complied instantly, more than ready to be out of four-inch heels. The only problem was that after stepping out of them both, I had to look way up to see Sasuke's face, but as soon as our eyes connected, he bent and touched his lips to mine.

When he lifted, I felt him shift my hair over my shoulder, before his hands wrapped around my back to unzip my top, and immediately after, he lifted it over my head. I let him. I was too tired to fight him and I wanted a shower so badly I could taste the water. Sasuke's hands moved to the button of my jeans and in record time, he bent at the knees, slid them down my legs and waited until I stepped out of them before tossing them aside.

Quickly, he gripped my hips, fingers splayed over the top of my ass, and he kissed the top of my thigh, then my other thigh. My stomach grew taut. I closed my eyes, loving the feel of his warm lips on my skin as they traveled up, kissing and teasing along the way until he made it to the edge of my panties. I cupped the sides of his face.

I felt his finger dip into the edge of my panties and, in a flash, they were gone too, but, instead of concentrating downstairs, he stood and wrapped his arms around my back to unhook and remove my bra. When it was free from my arms, I gripped the hem of his shirt, but the second I started lifting it, he stopped me with a tight grip on my wrists.

"No, Sakura." His eyes held mine. "You take a shower. I'm gonna go back downstairs to make us something to eat."

_Uhhhh...huh?_

"But I'm not hungry anymore," I whispered, even though that wasn't really true. I was hungry, for him.

He swept his thumb across my bottom lip, following the movement with his eyes.

"You're so damn beautiful, you know that?" Sasuke said as a sweet smile played on his lips, but something about his words was like a slap in the face. I shook my head to clear it, but when that didn't work, I took a step back and covered myself with my hands as images from the past flashed through my mind…something I couldn't stop no matter how hard I wished them away.

All I could see was the ecstasy on her face as she reveled in the feel of Sasuke beneath her. I could see exactly how good she looked doing it. I could easily see her flawless figure, her platinum blonde hair, and just how much Sasuke had enjoyed her in his lap.

I'd always wondered how far things would have gone had I not been seen, and knowing that he probably would have had sex with her, especially while I'd been pregnant, shattered me all over again.

Once the images hit me, it was hard to think about anything else. He swore he didn't cheat, but I saw him kiss her with my own eyes. It was so clear in my mind it was like it happened yesterday, and nothing could take those images away.

"Baby, what's goin' on in that head of yours? What's wrong?" Sasuke asked roughly, and I closed my eyes, refusing to bring up the past, even though I wanted to do just that. I wanted to scream at him for ruining me. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs until I lost my voice. I wanted to slap him for stealing away my confidence, and for every ounce of self-doubt I harbored. I hated myself for feeling so weak around him.

_What am I even doing here? In this house? I shouldn't be here._

I opened my eyes and Sasuke's expression was the epitome of worry and fear combined. I had to admit it felt good to believe he actually cared, but I knew I was only another body to him; one that he probably cared about only slightly more than the others because it held a lot of old memories for him.

I could feel Sasuke's eyes on me and knew that he was watching me closely, but my mind wouldn't stop working. Honestly, I was sick of myself. I made these decisions so I had to live with them, but I didn't want to.

I felt dirty and confused.

I'd had sex with Sasuke, twice, knowing I had a boyfriend. The fact that I didn't have a boyfriend the day after I'd had sex with Sasuke didn't count because said _ex-_boyfriend didn't know it yet.

Even though Soushi had gotten in trouble and we were over now, I still cared about him and was even a little worried about him. Would I never see or talk to him again? Was he on the run or had he been hurt or killed? And why did I care?

The problem was, I knew he was a good guy that made a bad decision, but that didn't stop me from caring.

"Sakura?" Sasuke said my name like a question, and I quickly gave him a smile that I'm sure didn't reach my eyes. I wanted him away from me before I broke down.

"Sorry, nothing's wrong. I'll just take a quick shower and be right down."

"Baby, tell me what you're thinking in that head of yours so I can fix it," he rumbled deeply.

I shook my head. "It's nothing you will ever be able to fix, Sasuke. Please stop trying."

He exhaled loudly and rubbed a hand over his head and down his face in clear frustration. "I've made so many damn mistakes with you, Sakura, but I can easily see that the biggest one I made was staying away from you for so long."

"But that's what I wanted...what I want," I corrected and I watched in fascination as his body grew taller and his shoulders grew broader.

"Sakura, stop lying to yourself; it's really starting to piss me off," he snapped and I stiffened at the abrupt changed in tone. He reached for the linen closet door. It opened, closed, and then he came out with a towel, which he handed to me right away.

"Cover yourself and go to the bed. I'm gonna talk, you're gonna listen and then you can take a shower."

I narrowed my eyes on his face, but I still wrapped the towel around myself because I was naked and uncomfortable—not because he ordered me to—and then I watched in longing as he turned off the shower.

When he turned, I still hadn't moved from my place and his eyes met mine.

"Can we do this later?" I asked, hopeful.

"Move, Sakura," he ordered.

I sighed and did what he'd said, but only because I wanted to get this over with.

He started as soon as I sat on the edge of the bed and looked up.

"I'm gonna say this, and I'm only sayin' it once so listen close and let it sink in: What you wanted was for me to come crawling back to you on my hands and fuckin' knees, begging for forgiveness, but I didn't do that like I should have because I was fucked in the head thinking I killed my baby, and lost you because of it."

I closed my eyes, hating his words.

"I drank myself into oblivion until I couldn't remember the day before. I didn't eat for days, and sometimes, I didn't even wake up to go to work. I was fucked up, Sakura. In the beginning, I was giving you time, but during that time, I was only digging myself into a hole I couldn't get out of. I couldn't even fix myself, so how the fuck was I supposed to fix us?"

"Then, you didn't show up to mom's funeral and, honestly, yeah, I was pretty fuckin' pissed at you. More than pissed, but I had no idea you actually came, which is _your _fault…" he pointed in my face, "…for not confronting me then and there. So, I let more time go by, still drinking, still thinking I killed my baby and ran you off... and then I get a call from you a year and a half later wanting to meet, and picture this, I'm still half drunk when I get the call, but I'm out of my mind ecstatic thinking I'm getting my world back, my heart back, and then I see you, and all you do is tell me you've met someone else and that you want a motherfuckin' _divorce_," he spat the word.

"Sasuke—" I tried.

"No. I guess in the long run, I needed that wake-up call because I cleaned my ass up and, in doing so, I was able to see how much I needed you back, but seeing as how you'd already moved on, I knew it was too late. So I was even more pissed at you. I even hated you a little, but you still _belonged _to me and there was no _fuckin_' way I was letting you go. So, I ran that little piece-of-shit Ein off. He had a record, anyway, so it wasn't hard."

He paused and I held my breath. My heart was beating uncontrollably and my stomach was knotted so tight it hurt. Sasuke took a step, closed the distance between us, framed my face with his hands and tilted my head up further. I exhaled hard. This was too much to take in, but somehow I needed to hear this. I needed to hear that he'd been hurting just as much as I had.

"Freckles, here it is, for the last time, I didn't cheat on you. The stripper was a case I was working, because my Lieutenant at the time made it sound like it would fast track my career. I had my dad's money that I didn't want to touch, but then I had you, pregnant with my baby and I wanted to give you the world, but I couldn't afford to. I realized too late that all you wanted was me."

His eyes were so beautiful, I thought, before my vision began to blur and tears threatened to spill.

His voice softened. "The night I was given the case, I will never forget coming home to find you asleep and your pillow wet from crying...tears that I knew I'd caused for being such an idiot, and I knew... _knew _that I'd made a mistake by taking that case. I swear to God, Sakura, Amane's touch made me cringe; I hated it, and that kiss you saw probably saved my life."

I jerked my face out of his hold. "What?" I asked in an angry breath.

"I'd been to the strip club three times, but the first two were just to talk. Amane was a stripper, but she was also an informant who refused to talk to anyone else but me. She was only nineteen, had one look at me and decided I looked like the only person she could trust. By the third night, she knew her boss suspected I was a cop. When you saw her kissing me, she was trying to save me. She warned me before doing it. She whispered in my ear and I had to let her kiss me because all I could think about was not getting myself shot, so I could come home to you."

"Oh my God!" I whispered as a tremble wracked my body.

I felt queasy.

"I never touched her, Sakura. Think about that. I know what you saw, but think back real hard. I never fuckin' touched her and nothing...I mean _nothing _else would have happened. I was done, I knew at that moment, that was it, I was gonna quit if they wouldn't have let me off that case."

His thumbs caressed the apple of my cheeks as his eyes gazed into mine.

Tears spilled over my lashes as I took it all in, but some things still didn't make sense and I needed answers.

"Why was she at your mom's funeral? Why do you still remember her name?"

Sasuke's fingers stopped moving on my face and I took that as a really bad sign.

"Tell me," I ordered through the tightness in my throat.

He sighed.

"It's a really long story, Sakura. Basically, I ran into her outside of court about a month after you left. She felt responsible for messing up my life. And, because I ran after you the night of the case, I fucked up her life. Again, it's a long story, and I'll tell you everything another time, but I sort of felt responsible for her after what happened. I knew she was out of a job since the club had been shut down, and…I don't know…I also felt I owed her for helping me, so I helped her get a job. A waitressing job. That was it. She showed up at the funeral to be nice, and maybe a little out of misguided feelings for me, but you missed the part where I made her leave."

By the guilty look on his face, I knew he wasn't telling me everything.

"Did you have sex with her after me?" I asked and his blink was slow and lasted long. My blood ran cold.

"No, I never fucked her, Sakura. But I won't lie to you; I'm still friends with her."

"Oh my God," I breathed as I shook my head to make it all go away.

"Friends, Sakura. Not best friends, not friends with benefits. We don't talk on the phone unless she calls and needs help, which is almost never. I've changed a tire for her once when she had a flat. I've helped find someone to fix the water heater in her apartment, and various other things men do, but it's rare. She knows I don't feel anything for her. I visit her at the diner a couple times a month to check on her, because she's a good person, has a shit life and very few friends. You're gonna like her and she's gonna love you."

_There was no fucking way_, I thought as I shook my head. I couldn't even look at him.

His hands dove into my hair. "Now is not the right time to tell you her story, but it was bad, Baby. Not moving from foster home to foster home bad." I froze. "Bad as in forced into prostitution by her own father bad."

My stomach roiled. "You can't be serious."

"Sold into a sex ring, Sakura. That was part of the case I'd been working back then. And think about this, Baby, Amane's twenty-six, the same age you are now, so figure she was the same age you were when you left me."

I winced. I'd only been nineteen.

"She's a good person. You'll like her. She's so sweet, it's hard not to. You might never be friends with her…though I think you will be because you're an even better person than I am, but when you meet her, you'll understand why I couldn't just pretend she never existed."

"This is too much right now," I admitted softly and to my surprise, Sasuke nodded.

"I know, but you needed to know it all so you can stop thinking about the past and start thinking about how we're going to move forward with our future. I think we both made huge mistakes, me more so than you, but both of us nonetheless. I should have come for you, and you should have trusted me enough to come back, but we're together now. You're with me and you're fuckin' staying."

I didn't know what to say. So when he asked, "Freckles, you with me?" all I could do was blink.

"Okay, I see understanding is still sinking in, so I'll add this: I will never touch another woman, and I will _never _make another fuckin' mistake so stupid. I won't risk losing you again. I will screw up and say the wrong things, because that's me and I won't change, but you'll know I won't mean the bad shit I say because you're the only one who knows the real me.

"And this thing with Soushi, it pisses me off, and I know you're confused about it, he was there one minute and now he's not. I know you feel guilty that you haven't had a chance to tell him about me, even though he nearly got you killed because of the bullshit he's involved in, but that's just you. You wouldn't have gotten into a relationship with him if you didn't at least care about him. So, I hope to God, for your sake, that he's caught soon. If I find out he involves you deeper in his mess, I will find him, and I will kill him."

_Oh my God!_

"Sasuke–," I whispered.

"No, Sakura, I will not let his shit touch you, so don't even try to down play how serious it is," he ordered, his tone unwavering.

I frowned, suddenly feeling uncomfortable having this conversation in my current attire—a towel. "Sasuke, I'm nearly naked."

"Yeah, Baby, I know. Just how I like you."

"You're too much," I whispered. "Couldn't you have waited to lay all this out until after I took a shower and was dressed?"

"Nope. You were thinkin' bad shit, so I needed to address it all now. And clothes aren't body armor. They won't protect you from me."

"But you don't live in my head," I snapped. "You have no idea what I was thinking."

He waved away my outburst and made a noise like _pesh_. "Oh please, you looked like you were choking on a chicken bone. I knew exactly what you were thinking about. So, we straight?"

I gaped at him. "No, we're not straight! Can I please take a shower and we'll talk about this when I get out _and _put clothes on? I still have questions and things to work through, but I admit I do feel a little better."

"Do you trust me?" he asked, changing the subject and I snapped my mouth shut.

He raised his eyebrows. "Sakura, do you trust me?" he repeated the question.

"I don't know," I answered softly and with honesty. "I'll work on it. I believe that you didn't cheat intentionally, if that's what you really want to know, but you make it sound so easy to forgive and forget. I can't just forget something like what happened. And now I find out you are friends with _Amane, _and as sad as her story sounds, it's still a lot to take in after thinking differently for so long. And the miscarriage…you didn't bring that up, but I still think about it a lot. Trusting you is going to take time."

By the frustration in his eyes, I knew he didn't like my answer. "Fine. Time. You want more of it, you got it, but you'll take it in this house, with me."

He bent and slammed his mouth down on mine. His hands unwrapped my towel and they slid down my back and ended cupping my ass.

"Shower and then come eat," he whispered against my lips before lifting his head further. "I'll bring you some of my clothes. You look better in them than I do anyway."

"Wait, what about my clothes…my apartment?"

"We'll talk about it when you come eat."

I nodded, and since my mood had shifted slightly for the better, and because he was irresistible, I wrapped my hands around the back of his neck, lifted on my toes and pressed a kiss to his jaw.

He groaned, slowly backed away, and said, "Shower, Sakura, or we'll never get out of the damn bedroom."

**:) Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review! **

**Laters!**


	23. Chapter 23

**UPDATE! Another chapter for you guys! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I watched Sakura walk down the stairs forty minutes later and I still couldn't believe she was actually home. She was in my black drawstring sweats, rolled up at the bottom, and a white t-shirt tied at her hip. Her pink hair hung damp down her back and over her right shoulder, but I could see the natural waves already forming. She was looking at her feet, watching where she stepped, but I could see that her face was free of all makeup.

My body relaxed.

When she hit the bottom step, she looked to the living room and froze. She stood there a second before spinning around to search for me. Our eyes met and her full, red, bow shaped lips tipped up into a grin. She started walking my way.

"Your living room is destroyed," she chirped, and the little pinkheaded terrorist sounded pleased with herself.

I grinned. "Are you proud of yourself?" I joked, she shrugged and her grin softened to a smile.

"It actually felt good at the time. Though, I was disappointed with my aim at your head. I'll have to practice for next time," she quipped with a serious face, and I laughed. Hard. I realized I hadn't laughed so hard in a really long time, and it felt good. I'd been missing something in my life and I realized then that it was Sakura. The thought sobered me, but it didn't erase my smile.

She was here now.

"I have no doubt about that, Freckles. But you know, even though you're my wife, I can still arrest you. I probably should have last night for all the shit you pulled."

"Well, I do seem to remember you handcuffing me," she murmured through a smirk and I laughed again.

"All right, shrimp, eat," I ordered jokingly as I sat the plate of food down in front of her.

Her nose scrunched up and she frowned. "I do feel like a shrimp in your clothes," she muttered as she looked down at herself quickly, before climbing onto a barstool.

She picked up her sandwich and complained with sass, "This is all I get? I feel shafted. Our first morning together, I got crescent rolls and scrambled eggs. Actually, this sort of feels a little déjà vu..." She frowned, and then she growled, "…if Karin shows up tonight or tomorrow, I'm cutting that bitch up like I did your couch."

And there she was. My Sakura. She'd always been there, but her guard was down, and I hoped like hell she stayed that way. My dumb-ass speech in the bedroom earlier had been spur of the moment and I shouldn't have brought it all up at that time, but I hadn't been able to take her distance from me any longer.

"Are you okay? You look upset," she asked softly.

I looked into her eyes.

"Just glad you're back, Freckles," I admitted, and she looked down at her plate.

"I'll try, Sasuke," she swore in a small voice. "That's all I can promise."

She'd try and she'd succeed, but I didn't say that out loud.

I nodded. "Eat. I'm going to sweep up the glass in the living room while you do."

"I'm sorry about that. I'll eat fast and help you."

"I got it. I deserved it. Eat," I said harsher than intended. I wasn't sure why, but I just wanted her to eat. I wanted her to feel comfortable here.

"Oh, alright," she grumbled and picked up the sandwich.

I was sweeping up the last of the broken glass when I heard Sakura call out, "I gotta run upstairs to get my purse. I'll be right back." I assumed she didn't require a response since I heard her jogging up the stairs.

I was dumping the glass in the trash in the kitchen when I heard her walk back in.

"Everything okay?" I asked with my back to her and I heard her shuffling around.

"Yeah, fine, I just had to get my birth control pills."

I spun around so fast my neck hurt. "Your what?" I asked just as she swallowed the water from her glass which meant she'd already taken the pill.

"Uhhhh… my what…what?" she asked confused.

"Did you fuck Soushi without a condom?" I asked, because I couldn't help it, and the thought pissed me off, but that's not why I was really mad.

I hated the fuckin' idea that when I came in her last night and this morning, it meant nothing.

But again, I'd said the wrong thing and I knew it for certain when I heard her sharp intake of air and hissed, "Excuse me?"

"I didn't use a condom with you last night or this morning, Sakura."

_Wrong again!_

She looked as though I slapped her. Yep, I'd fucked up bad.

"I know that, I'm not stupid, but you sure as hell are! Do you really think I'm that dirty?"

I groaned because that wasn't anywhere close to what I thought. She continued, "I think we both know condoms don't protect against everything out there, but I never would have slept with you without one had I thought for a second I could give you a disease! At least I know I've only slept with two other men since you, but I'm positive you can't say the same…you're probably into the thousands—" she stopped abruptly and covered her mouth with her hand like she was going to throw up.

"How many?" she asked in a tortured whisper and my back went rigid.

"Damn it, Sakura, we're not talking about this shit. Not one of them fuckin' mattered to me. And I wasn't insinuating that I thought you could have given me a disease. That's not what I meant. I don't like you taking birth control," I finished, but I could tell she was so far gone into panic mode that my words hadn't registered.

"What number am I? I should be asking you if you're clean. I've been on birth control since the miscarriage, but I've always used condoms because I never want to get pregnant again—"

My face contorted in pain as I felt the blow radiate throughout my entire body. "What. The. Fuck. Did you just say?"

Sakura's lips pressed together into a firm line and she didn't answer.

"Tell me," I barked, but again, nothing.

"What do you mean you never want to get pregnant again?" I roared at her.

"I don't want to fight with you about this," she whispered.

"Oh, but you can fight with me about everything else? Open your mouth and answer me!"

"I don't want kids," she screamed right away, nearly cutting me off, her cry echoing throughout the kitchen. I had to close my eyes against the agony as another blow rocked me on my feet.

"I don't deserve to be pregnant again. I was reckless and I _killed my baby_!" Her voice shook as she kept screaming. "I should have cared more about my baby than I did myself, but I didn't and I lost my baby!"

_Fuck!_

I stalked toward her, but she backed away as she sobbed and screamed, "Stay away from me!"

I ignored her.

I kept coming and I reached her before she could take off up the stairs. She turned to run, but I wrapped her in my arms and crushed her against my chest. Her body trembled against mine and her pain ripped out my heart as my own pain cut me to the bone.

"I can't take it anymore," she cried and I knew she was desperate to forget, just like I was. I squeezed her tighter and swallowed past the lump in my throat as my own tears threatened to arise. I rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, but nothing seemed to sooth her. I bent and swept her into my arms.

She threw her arms around my shoulders and cried against my neck as I carried her to the bedroom. The only light came from the setting sun through the windows and when I made it to the bed, I laid her down like she was made of glass and I crawled in beside her. When she moved to roll away from me, I held firm in silent refusal. If she was going to cry, my body was going to feel her tears.

And as she cried, I rubbed her back and held her tight until, finally, long minutes later, her cries subsided.

That's when I decided it was time. She needed to know so she could start working on it now.

"Freckles, we're gonna have to work through this because I'm counting on you to be the mother of my kids." She shook her head furiously against my chest. "What happened was an accident, Baby. It took me a long time to realize that, but neither one of us could have changed what happened. I've seen the accident report. You have to know, whether you were pregnant or not, the driver of the other truck would have hit you regardless. It had nothing to do with how you were driving." Another tremor wracked her body as her tears started again. I kissed the top of her head and let my lips linger, before looking up to stare at the ceiling.

Every tear that soaked through my shirt felt like razors slicing my skin wide open. It hit me then that she'd been hurting like this for six agonizingly long years, and she'd been living with the pain all alone. I'd felt responsible for a long time, too, but I'd finally come to terms with the fact that the accident had been destined to happen, no matter what. And here I'd thought she'd moved on with her life, when she'd really only been suffering by herself.

I felt one, single, lone tear slide out of the corner of my eye, thinking of all I could have done to help her, but I hadn't been there. I should have done this sooner. I should have pushed away all my macho selfishness and come for her. I should have kidnapped her and forced her to listen, and forgive me.

She was here now, in my arms where she'd stay for the rest of her life. It wasn't too late.

"Freckles," I whispered, sometime later, possibly an hour later, and all I got was her murmured, "Hmm..." in acknowledgement.

My fingers drew lightly on her shoulder as I continued whispering, "Baby, it's fast—really fast—but no matter what happens, when it happens, we'll figure it out. No more pills."

Sakura said nothing, but she nestled her face deeper into the hollow of my neck.

"Sakura, did you hear me? I need to know that you understand and you're okay with this."

I felt her breath on my skin when she responded, again in a soft murmur, "Mmmhmm...okay."

Instantly, every muscle in my body I hadn't realized were tense loosened with her easy agreement.

Minutes passed, her breathing grew stronger and I knew she was out like a light. I carefully disentangled myself from her peaceful, sleeping frame, slid out of bed, took care of some business, took a quick shower, changed into clean boxer-briefs, crawled back in bed, and snuggled up to my woman.

It was pitch black when my eyes opened and I blinked a few times to clear my vision. I felt Sakura move.

"Sasuke, are you awake?" she breathed against my ear as her nails raked down my stomach, which tightened at her touch. Next thing I knew, her hand was in the front of my shorts and I was painfully hard the second she took me in her hand. I hissed when her thumb circled the tip.

"Sakura," I said, my voice hoarse.

"I need you inside me," she demanded, her voice low and husky from sleep. I groaned when she nipped my earlobe.

Was I still dreaming?

She continued to work her hand up and down, squeezing with just the right amount of pressure as she kissed and nipped my neck. I wanted to give her what she wanted, I really did, but I didn't want her to stop either.

Only a few seconds later she did, but it was so fast I nearly missed it. She whipped the t-shirt over her head, shimmied out of my sweats and her panties, and had my boxers down to my ankles before I realized what was happening.

Then I was in her mouth and I groaned. She started out slow, teasing, licking and flicking the tip with her tongue, before her mouth grew greedy, going deep, taking sharp pulls and squeezing me in her fist.

I cupped her jaw and felt her mouth working hard, which only turned me on more.

"Baby, if you want me inside you, you're going about it the wrong way," I admitted, because what she was doing felt too fuckin' good. She pumped her hand a few more times and then lifted to crawl up my body. When she straddled my lap, my hand went straight for her sweet spot and I caressed her with my thumb. I heard her loud exhale, like she'd been desperate for the relief.

She worked herself a few times against my thumb before whispering, "I'm ready." She lifted herself higher, and I gripped her hips. She gripped me, found her core and slowly lowered herself down until full.

Then she stopped.

"You're big. Give me a minute," she whispered, and _fuck _if that wasn't what every man wanted to hear.

I grew so hard I almost felt sorry for her.

I could barely see her with the light shining through from the windows, but what I could see had me captivated.

Her hair was wild and wavy, like a mane and I wanted to tangle my fingers in it. Her eyes were closed in ecstasy and her full lips were slightly parted. Her heavy breasts and the perfectly pink tips were beautiful and called out to me. My mouth watered. Her stomach was flat, but she was thick, like my woman should be.

"You belong to me…all of you," I growled, and my fingertips pressed deeper into the soft flesh at her hips. Her eyes opened and locked on mine.

"I've missed you so much, Sasuke," she admitted as she lowered her body over mine. Her breasts crushed against my chest, her hands wrapped around my neck and she kissed me. Never breaking eye contact.

"My heart, Sakura," I breathed against her lips. I cupped her face in my hands and she started rocking herself on me. I lifted my hips to go deeper. She picked up the pace. My hands went back to her hips and I pressed down on her as I lifted myself higher. Her mouth hit my neck and she licked me and bit me and I could hear her uneven breathing in my ear.

She rocked herself faster and when I met her pace, her nails sunk into my shoulders.

"That's it, Baby," I groaned.

"You make me crazy," she said breathlessly, and with how her insides were tightening around me, I took crazy as a good thing.

"Back at you, Baby. Now, give me your mouth."

She lifted her head, slammed her mouth down on mine and our tongues tangled, caressed and fought for possession. I could feel her everywhere and I needed to go deeper. I wanted to devour her.

She moaned, "I'm coming."

_Thank fuck._

I felt her grow wetter and her insides clenched around me like a vise. I was ready to explode, but I wanted her to finish first.

"Come with me," she breathed in the middle of her orgasm, and I didn't fight it. I gave in. I groaned and pumped twice more, before slamming her hips down on mine as I spilled inside her.

We were both panting when it was over and Sakura collapsed on top of me like a blanket.

"I'm exhausted," she whispered.

I chuckled, "I bet."

She grumbled, "You're supposed to say you're exhausted too."

I smiled and let my hands travel down her back to squeeze her ass. "Baby, I'm fuckin' wiped."

I felt her smile against my chest as her hand traced circles over my heart. "That's better," she whispered, and I lay there feeling full and whole again. I caressed her back until I felt her breathing deepen and her body grew heavy. I thought to move her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, so I snagged the covers on the side she'd been sleeping on and flipped them over us both. I hugged her to me until I fell asleep.

My eyes flew open and my arms automatically tightened around Sakura's waist when I felt her body jerk. "What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, as I looked up at her face. My voice was rough with sleep and I was hot from Sakura's body. She hadn't moved an inch since falling asleep last.

"I thought I heard something, but I'm not sure. Sorry," she muttered and rested her head back on my chest.

I glanced to the nightstand and exhaled. Eight o'clock in the morning.

Then I heard what Sakura must have heard. Banging on the front door. I growled.

"Told you I heard something," Sakura muttered as she lifted her head again.

"Fuck 'em," I said as I gripped Sakura's ass and squeezed, ready for my morning fill. I had gone too long without her.

"Sasuke! I know you're home so open the door!" I heard Rina shout from outside the house and Sakura's body stiffened. "Don't make me use my spare key! Nina wants to see you!" she continued and about a million ways to kill Rina flashed through my mind.

"Bitches be crazy," I muttered to myself.

"Who is that?" Sakura asked as she crawled off me, and I hated the loss, but something about knowing Sakura was finally going to finally meet my sister-in-law and my niece made me anxious.

"It's Rina. Get dressed, Freckles. I'll introduce you," I said as I jumped out of bed.

"But… I don't have anything to wear," Sakura said with uncertainty and I spoke as I dressed in navy blue track pants and a white t-shirt.

"You look good in anything. Just put on my clothes from last night. We'll go get your stuff from your apartment later today."

"Sasuke! Nina and I are in the house! You better not come out naked!" Rina shouted again and I shouted back, "I'll be right down! Don't come up here!" I walked to the bathroom.

When I walked back out, Sakura was still sitting up in bed with the covers up to her neck, and she looked scared to death.

I froze.

"Freckles, you okay?"

She shook her head. "Why are you so comfortable with this? Isn't Rina your girlfriend?"

My brows met in confusion and I had to think about her questions. Where would she get—it hit me. When I'd taken her home from the grocery store, I'd been with Rina, and when Sakura had alluded to Rina being my girlfriend, I hadn't corrected her because I was pissed that she'd told me she had a boyfriend.

"Sakura, Rina is my sister-in-law. Nina is my niece."

She mouthed, "Oh," with her lips, but she still didn't move.

"Come on, Freckles, get dressed and come meet them."

"But... I don't think that's such a good idea. Do they know who I am?"

"It's a great idea, and they're about to find out. Just get dressed," I rushed as I headed out of the room not wanting to give Sakura any more time to argue.

I jogged down the stairs with a little more pep in my step.

"Ohhhh…Momma is soooo mad at you!" Nina shouted as soon as she saw me coming down the stairs. I grinned, and as soon as my feet hit the floor, I scooped her up and kissed her forehead.

"Missed you, Squirt."

"I'm not a squirt," she pouted and my grin grew bigger.

"Where the heck have you been?" Rina asked next. "I've called you a million times, Ann has called you a million times and so did Ren... if you can believe it. We've been worried about you and you're acting like you won the lottery. What's going on?"

"I've been with Sakura—"

"Who's Sakura?"Rina snapped and just as I opened my mouth to answer, I heard a sweet, "I'm Sakura," said from the stairs. I twisted my neck and saw Sakura standing halfway down the stairs, but she looked pale.

My grin died.

"Freckles, everything all right?" I asked, but her eyes wouldn't meet mine. They were stuck on Nina.

"Sorry, yes, I'm fine," Sakura said so quietly I almost didn't hear her. Then she looked at me a nanosecond before returning her gaze back to Nina in my arms.

I looked at Nina and my heart rate increased. I squeezed my eyes shut because I couldn't believe I forgot.

_Nina looks just like me. Why didn't I warn her_?

When I heard Sakura finish her descent down the stairs, I opened my eyes and she was standing next to Rina.

"Hi, we never really got a chance to meet properly. I'm Sakura," she said in introduction as she held out her hand to Rina, who stared at her hand in shock.

"Rina, you might want to close your mouth," I suggested, and at the sound of my voice, she snapped out of her daze and shook Sakura's hand.

"Sorry, I'm Rina. It's really nice to meet you."

"I'm Nina," Nina chimed in and Sakura twisted her neck so fast I thought it might snap, but a smile played on her lips.

"Hi, Nina," she said softly. "It's really nice to meet you. You're a very beautiful girl."

"Thank you, you're beautiful too," Nina said quickly. "I want your freckles."

**:) The one who called Sasuke in the latter chapter is Rina, his sister-in-law… Just sayin' :D… Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hi! Here's another chapter for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters or contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

**Sakura Uchiha**

I was so light headed, I thought I might faint. It was uncanny how much Nina looked like Sasuke... she could possibly be his twin, with long black hair and amazingly bright eyes, but hers weren't black. They were amber. She had to be around six or seven and the moment I saw her, I nearly had a heart attack.

"So, Munchkin, you wanna tell me why your mom is soooo mad at me?" Sasuke asked and Nina's nose scrunched up.

"'I'm not a munchkin," she huffed. "And Momma said she's been calling you and calling you, but you wouldn't answer. Daddy told her it's 'cause you have woman problems... What are woman problems?" She tilted her head to the side and studied Sasuke's face. I couldn't help but grin. I looked at Sasuke; his eyes were already on me.

"Nina," her mom scolded.

"Trust me, beautiful girl... you're gonna be the cause of _many _woman problems for some poor boy in the future. I pity your dad—"

"Sasuke," I heard growled in warning from the front door and my eyes flew to find the voice. I sucked in a breath so loud I knew the whole room heard.

_Holy shit!_

"Hi, Daddy!" Nina chirped.

It was Sasuke's brother.

Renshiro.

I couldn't believe that in my current state of shock, I actually remembered his name. There was no mistaking the resemblance. He was a slightly younger version of Sasuke. They were almost the same height, but Renshiro looked a tad bit taller, maybe because of his hair. It was inky, and jet-black, just like Sasuke's, except Renshiro's was longer and messy. His eyes…_oh my God_, they were an a-freaking-mazing citrine color. He had a square jaw like Sasuke, but his was covered in scruff.

But he was still sexy as fuck.

He was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, and Sasuke was wearing a white t-shirt and track pants.

Oh, goodness gracious.

Renshiro was carrying a baby girl dressed in a frilly pink dress, and don't ask me why, but that made him a zillion times hotter. All big and muscular and badass looking, holding a tiny, fragile, little angel in his arms.

My eyes watered at the sight.

"Freckles," I heard Sasuke call out in a tone that wasn't all too happy, but I didn't face him right away.

"Hmmm?"

"Sakura, Baby, what the fuck," he snapped and I faced him then.

"Sorry. There are two of you," I snapped back and it sounded a lot like an accusation, as if it was Sasuke's fault I was ogling his brother, which of course, it was.

His eyes narrowed and I narrowed mine back.

"Well, that was fast," Rina muttered and I turned away from Sasuke's angry face to look at her. I also noted that Renshiro had walked further into the house, close to Rina. "It took me a while to realize they were brothers, but in my defense, I had a lot going on at the time. Sakura, this is Renshiro, my husband," She nodded in his direction.

He shifted the little girl in his arms, but didn't stick out his hand. Actually, he was looking at me like he didn't like me very much at all.

"Nice to meet you," he rumbled, but he didn't sound like meeting me was nice, and I watched his eyes take in my outfit with disgust. I froze, remembering I was in Sasuke's baggy clothes and looked like a slob.

"Renshiro," Sasuke growled low in warning, and I didn't look at him. I was embarrassed and I wanted to disappear into thin air.

"Princess, why don't you go to the back room and watch TV for a few minutes while the adults talk in the kitchen?" Rina asked, looking at Nina and Nina agreed with a quick "Yay" as she wiggled her body so Sasuke would put her down.

"Can Yesha come too?" Nina asked with big sister concern, which I thought was so damn cute.

"No, Babe, she'll stay with us for now so you don't have to watch her, okay?"

"Okay," Nina shouted so fast she nearly cut Rina off.

As I watched her run down the hall, I thought it was a good thing the TV was in the family room at the back of the house, just in case things got heated. Renshiro and Sasuke sort of looked like they were about to throw blows.

"I can't believe you were that pissed off at Ann for marrying Tou that you ran out on her wedding so you could come back here to fuck _her_," Renshiro sneered furiously.

I was so taken aback by his words my chest tightened and heat pricked my skin. I wasn't that ugly, but he was still looking at me with disgust. Who the hell did he think he was? And who the hell was Ann? Another one of Sasuke's women I was sure.

I straightened and hissed, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

He glanced at me like I was nothing, but Sasuke's brother or not, I refused to cower.

"Renshiro," Rina hissed in warning, before glancing at me with remorse.

I wanted to kick his ass!

"Brother," Sasuke said, and the acidity in his tone hinted at violence. "You better watch your goddamn mouth around my _wife_. She called, I jumped. I didn't give a shit about Ann's wedding," Sasuke finished and I was certain all the air was sucked out of the room.

I felt all eyes hit me, but I kept my narrowed eyes on Renshiro.

The fucker.

"Say that one more time," Renshiro demanded, his voice a bit softer, and Sasuke didn't hesitate.

"Sakura's my wife, so stop looking at her like she's a whore. You of all people know exactly what one looks like, so you of all people also know that she doesn't look like one."

I heard Rina's gasp, and I closed my eyes and wished myself somewhere far, far away.

"Maybe I should just go back upstairs while you talk to your family," I offered.

"Hell no, this is your house. They don't like what I have to say, they can get the fuck out."

"Sasuke, stop it. They obviously have no idea what you're talking about," I hissed. "And you're the only one who needs to watch his mouth. There's a little girl in the room." I took a quick glance at the girl still in Renshiro's arms, but her eyes were the only ones _not _on me.

I met Renshiro's horrified stare. "You don't have to look so surprised. I know I'm not half as pretty as most of the women Sasuke's been with…or your wife for that matter, but you could at least have the decency to keep your repulsion to yourself."

If possible, his eyes widened further and, a moment later, they turned angry.

He turned to Sasuke and growled, "Is she fuckin' kidding me?"

But it was me who answered, "No, I'm not kidding you. I know I'm not much to look at, but you don't have to be so blatantly rude about it."

"Are you for real?" Rina asked in a whisper. "You're gorgeous."

"What she said," Renshiro seconded, still growling.

I stiffened further. "I didn't say that to fish for false compliments. I'm just tired of you glaring at me like you can't believe Sasuke would actually marry someone who looked like me."

"Babe, do not put words in my mouth. I'm actually thinking the exact opposite. You're fuckin' gorgeous like my wife said, and I'm just trying to figure out how in the hell Sasuke pulled someone as hot as you. I thought he might have tricked you into marrying his cocky ass, but I've just come to the conclusion you're just as bat-shit crazy as he is."

My eyes flew to Sasuke who was already glaring at me and his expression promised an ass kicking. "We're talking about this shit later," he warned.

_Oh shit._

"Okay, okay. She's gorgeous, but explain how she's your wife? When did you get married? Did you go to Vegas or something and not tell anyone," Rina rambled.

"We're really married," I answered through a sigh before Sasuke could open his mouth. "I met him when I was eighteen. I got pregnant and got married at nineteen, he was twenty-three. He cheated on me, I lost the baby at four months and I left him. He refused to divorce me… still does."

"Damn it, I didn't cheat on you, and stop talking about divorce. I hate that word," Sasuke growled and I waved his argument away with my hand.

"Semantics."

"It's not semantics, it's a fact, Sakura."

I decided to change the subject. "Who's Ann?"

His eyes veered to look at Rina quickly before they came back to me. "She's Rina's best friend. And before you ask, no, I haven't fucked her or touched her in any way. We're friends."

I rolled my eyes. "But you tried to get in her pants, I'm sure. And it's nice that you call all vaginas _friends_. You're like the puntang master. Really, you should start your own talk show."

"Sakura—"

"I'm so lost…I think I need to sit down. Can we sit down?" Rina asked, looking longingly toward the living room. Renshiro looked just as baffled.

"Can't sit in there, Babe. Sakura cut up the couch, and there might still be glass on the floor," Sasuke said in a voice filled with amusement.

I glared at him.

"You cut up the couch?" Rina asked low and breathy. I shrugged with nonchalance.

"I picked that couch out with his mom. It brought back some bad memories and Sasuke was being a jerk."

"But…broken glass?" Rina continued to ask in confusion.

"I threw a picture frame at his fat head."

"Oh. My. God," Rina replied and to my surprise, Renshiro grinned.

"I like her," he said to Sasuke and Sasuke scowled.

"Wouldn't matter if you didn't. She belongs to me."

That made my tummy flutter, but it was still irritating. "I really wish you would stop saying that. I don't _belong _to you. I'm not a toy," I said.

He moved so fast I didn't have time to react. He stalked to me and when he got close enough, he yanked me to his chest, framing my face with his hands when he was done.

"You're right, you're not a toy. You're my wife." His coal black eyes gazed into mine as one hand fell away to pick up my left hand. I was breathing hard when he brought it to his lips and placed a kiss to my ring finger, before entwining our fingers. My whole body sighed. It was sweet and I had no response to Sasuke's sweet.

Renshiro cleared his throat. "Should we leave?"

"No, we're making breakfast for the girls. We'll talk more in the kitchen," Sasuke answered quickly and let me go.

_They're making breakfast_?

Twenty-minutes later, after Sasuke and I finished explaining our past in greater detail, as well as explaining the situation with Soushi, the room grew quiet. Rina and I sat at the breakfast bar watching the guys—in aprons—as they shuffled around the kitchen preparing breakfast. Yesha was sitting in a high chair that Sasuke kept stored in his pantry and she was coloring. Every once in a while I would hear Nina shouting at the TV.

The whole scene was surreal.

"They're wearing aprons," I pointed out, trying to break the ice wall that seemed to have built up, and I felt Rina's eyes hit my face.

"Yeah, you should see them in the aprons when they're not wearing shirts. Minus the sanitary issues, it's pretty damn sexy."

I smiled before I heard her resigned exhale.

"I still can't believe you're married, Sasuke. I can't believe you never told me. I always knew something was up with you when it came to women, but I never would have guessed you were married… and the miscarriage… I wish you would have told me," she said with disappointment.

"What would you have done, Rina? Told me to go after her?" he replied like it would have been a crazy suggestion.

"No, I'd probably have found her myself and told her the truth; that you needed her. I hated seeing you so…lonely. Ren hated it too."

Renshiro snorted, "Yeah right," and Rina glared at him.

I kept my smile to myself. It was interesting, their nicknames for each other. Only Renshiro called Rina, Rinara, and only Rina called Renshiro, Ren. I was going to have to get used to that.

"I hurt her bad, Rina. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt her again, and I think that's what always kept me from coming after her. I wanted her to move on with her life, but I also didn't want to let her go," Sasuke admitted and my heart swelled when the same sincerity in his voice was revealed through the eyes that locked with mine.

In that instant, I knew.

I loved him.

Just like I always had.

_I love him._

I swallowed hard and my palms started sweating at the realization.

"Can we go back to my apartment today?" I asked, intentionally changing the subject because I was trying to take my mind off how pathetic I was.

"I need my clothes, I need Cat and I need my laptop…oh shit! I forgot about my laptop. I hope it's okay and wasn't destroyed. I need it for work. I have like...five trips to book tomorrow… Do I have to go to court tomorrow like you said? And don't you have to work? You didn't go yesterday and you haven't said anything about today."

I rushed out all my thoughts as they came to me and Sasuke stared at me like I was crazy. The hand holding a spatula was frozen mid-air.

"You have a cat? Why didn't you tell me, I would have brought it here?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, I don't have a cat. Cat is my car."

Sasuke froze. "Excuse me?"

"Wait, you named your car Cat?" Renshiro cut in with an inquiring expression on his face and when I nodded, he continued. "What kind of car is Cat?"

"A 1968 Chevy Camaro Super Sport. Tuxedo Black with red racing stripes and red interior." I shrugged. "She's part of the reason I could never afford to divorce Sasuke. Actually, she was the only reason. She took all my money…the high maintenance bitch," I muttered to myself before continuing. "But she was all mine and the only thing I owned after I left Sasuke," I finished proudly.

Renshiro beamed at me while Sasuke stared at me like I was a freak of nature. Renshiro turned to Sasuke. "She drives a black '68 Camaro with red racing strips." He sounded pleased with my car and I smiled, but Sasuke only looked angrier.

"Why'd you name it Cat?" Rina asked curiously and I faced her.

"Because she purrs like one… well, she does now anyway. It was more of a strangled wet cat cry when I first bought her, but I didn't know any better six years ago," I finished and to my surprise, everyone chuckled, except Sasuke. When I looked in his direction, my happiness disappeared and I frowned at him.

"You still have that car?" Sasuke asked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

My frown turned into a glare. "Of course I still have it. I love that car. Why? Are you thinking of having your attorney demand I give you the title again?"

His comeback was quick and snappy. "I might. You shouldn't be driving a car like that, it's not safe. You should be in a truck…or a tank."

My eye roll was so elaborated even my head moved. He was too much. "Whatever, Sasuke. Can we go to my apartment or not?"

He sighed and didn't answer me right away, but when he did, I could tell he wasn't happy about it. "I'll have to get the all-clear, but yes, as soon as I get it, we'll go to the apartment today so you can get your clothes. I'm not sure about your laptop though. And I don't like your car…I mean, it's a badass car, I just don't want you driving it…tell you what, _I'll _drive it. You can drive my truck."

I gasped, a gasp so loud it was bound to be known as the gasp heard 'round the world. "I'm not driving your truck. If you try to take my car away from me, I will bury you!"

"We'll see about the car," he grumbled, before saying, "You have court Wednesday at ten. And to answer your last question, I'd already put in for vacation for Ann's wedding, so I was off this weekend, but I just got you back, Freckles, and I want to spend time with you so I might take more time off," he finished, and I thought that was so damn sweet.

"I'm starving!" I heard shouted from the hall and I twisted around to see Nina strolling in. Her resemblance to Sasuke was painfully similar. She was even the same age our child would have been. I immediately blinked the thought away before I broke down into tears.

"Food is coming right up, Munchkin," Sasuke said with a plastered smile on his face. "But since you're here, why don't you tell me the score from Monday? I was a little busy and missed the game."

Nina's little face scrunched up as if deep in thought.

"Ummm...I don't remember the numbers, but the Texans kicked Jacksonville's a—"

"Nina!" Rina scolded in a high-pitched tone and my eyes grew huge. Renshiro and Sasuke chuckled, and I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at the phony innocent expression playing on Nina's face.

"What? Daddy and Uncle Sasuke say it all the time. Why can't I?" she pouted and I couldn't hold my laughter in any longer.

The rest of the morning was fairly uneventful, and it wasn't until around three o'clock—the same time the Texans game started—that Sasuke got the okay to take me back to my apartment. Apparently, little Ms. Nina was a huge Texans fan, and when we left the house, Sasuke's brother and his family stayed behind to watch the game.

I liked them and I really hoped they liked me too. I'd never been one to care what people thought about me, but with Sasuke's family, I found myself craving their approval. They were a beautiful family, and seeing how happy they were made me yearn for a family of my own, even though that was out of the question.

I couldn't think about that.

**Thank you for reading. Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi! Chapter 25 comin' up! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I'd been hoping like hell Sakura wouldn't be allowed back in her apartment for at least another day, but I knew it'd been too much to hope for. After calling for clearance, I called Yamanaka and asked if she'd do me a solid, pack up Sakura's stuff and bring it to us, but one, Yamanaka said, "Hell no, I'll help your ass, but that's it," and two, Sakura gave me a look that promised a kick to my nether region if she didn't get to go back to her apartment herself.

Problem was, Sakura had had too much adrenaline rushing through her system to remember what the place actually looked like and I didn't want her to see how bad it was.

"I liked your family a lot," Sakura said, thankfully taking my mind off my worries. "Renshiro seems really nice and oddly protective of you. Which I don't quite get since you both appear to be equal in cockiness and size. Rina seems sweet and protective of you too, and Yesha is a precious baby. But that Nina is a riot, and my goodness she looks just like you. So much so, it's a little eerie."

My entire body relaxed at her confirmation like it had longed for her words.

I glanced at her to see she was already looking me. "Good. I'm glad you liked them, Freckles. I know they liked you too. Trust me, they don't hold anything back...especially Nina." I reached over the center console and laced my fingers through hers, and we stayed that way until we got to her apartment.

"I hate him," I heard Sakura whisper as she took in the first sight of her apartment since seeing it yesterday. It was the same disaster I remembered. "Soushi had to know they'd come looking for their money or drugs or whatever they were after," she continued, and at the mention of his name, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.

_Soushi, that piece of shit_.

"Come on, Baby. Let's get your stuff and get out of here. Just grab what you need. Don't worry about the mess. I'll have someone come take care of it later."

She glanced at me quickly, before nodding and walking further into the apartment. She went through the motions of shifting through the debris to pick up what items off the floor I assumed she intended to keep, and then placed them on a coffee table.

I wanted to get her out of here and I wanted to do it fast so I told her, "Baby, I'm gonna go to the bedroom to gather your clothes. You gonna be all right out here?" She nodded in an involuntary motion, probably not even realizing she was doing it.

I walked to her and she looked up. I bent and touched her cheek with my fingertips.

As I walked into her bedroom, heat crept up my neck as fury boiled my blood. It was even worse than the living room and I instantly wondered what would have happened to Sakura had I not come back and heard her scream.

The mattress, blankets and pillows were ripped to shreds. Her dresser drawers were open and sat askew, some were on the floor where they'd landed after being thrown. Clothes and shoes were scattered all over the room. A large plant that must have sat in the corner near the window had been tossed, and dirt covered a large portion of the light carpet.

I heard her sharp intake of air when she walked into the room behind me and I turned.

Her eyes were glassy.

"Why would he do this to me? Why would he involve me in this?" she whispered. She held up her hands to show me what she had unearthed. "I found my laptop on the floor. It's destroyed." She threw the pieces on the floor by her side.

_Shit._

I pulled her into my embrace and her body sagged against mine. "Don't think about it. It's over. The important thing is that you're safe and nothing happened to you."

She sighed. "I know. I just hate this and I'm still confused about it."

I pulled back slightly to glance down.

"What's there to be confused about?" She said she didn't love him earlier, but her feelings for Soushi might run deeper than she had let on.

Did she still want him after all this?

I knew the answer when her head jerked and her sad eyes met mine.

"Sasuke, I still care. I can't just pretend he was never in my life." I narrowed my eyes and she took a deep breath. "I don't know what made him get into this mess, but he's not a bad person and he cared about me too. I know he did, and that's what's so confusing. I don't want anything bad to happen to him, but I also never want to see him again. Can you understand that?"

No. No, I couldn't understand that. My jaw hurt from clenching it so tightly because I didn't like what she had to say. I knew neither one of us could erase the choices we made in the years that were between us—Soushi being one of them—but I wished we could.

"I get it, but I don't fuckin' like it, Sakura. The only woman I ever cared about was you and it pisses me off that you can't say the same."

She frowned and blinked a few times as if her mind couldn't quite register what I just said. When it hit, her body stiffened. I tried, really tried to ready myself for her rebuttal, but I was completely unprepared for what came out of her mouth.

"I don't want to fight with you, especially right now, but you are _such a jerk_," she hissed. "Caring for someone isn't the same as loving someone, so don't mistake the two. I said I cared what happened to Soushi, that's it. Don't try to make me feel like a shitty person, and don't pretend you didn't care about anyone else other than me. I know it's not true and so do you. Had you said love, I might have believed you, but even that's a stretch after all this time. You care about your little _stripper _enough that she's still in your life, which by the way, I'm not sure I'll ever be okay with. While you were changing her tires and playing her handyman, I had to do all that same shit for myself. After Ein left, I dated a couple other guys, but I really had no one until Soushi."

_Goddamn it! I didn't want to hear this shit._

"You care about your _friend _Ann, which by the expression on your face every time her name is mentioned, I know she was something more. And God only knows how many other female _friends _you care about."

"Sakura, you can stop now," I growled.

"No. We can't take back the past, it's there and it happened, but if you want me to consider the _possibility _of working things out with you, don't purposely make me feel guilty for things I had no control over. I'll try to show you the same courtesy. We both know I have plenty to throw in your face. If you can't do that, I have no problem going somewhere else. I've lived without you this long. I have no problem living my life without you 'til the end. Now excuse me, I have shit to pack. You can let me know what you decide when I'm done."

She moved past me like a cold breeze and I had no other choice but to let her go. I was too dumbfounded to move. Stunned speechless. Absolutely nothing would come out of my mouth, probably because I had no idea what to say, but I did know I needed a two-by-four over the head.

_Had I been trying to hurt her purposely_?

Yes.

As much as I wanted her back, I was still angry that she'd moved on at all. I was trying to make her feel bad by throwing the past in her face even though I knew it wasn't her fault. But there were things that I still needed to understand myself. She hadn't been the only one hurt in this.

I turned.

She was facing away and she knelt on the floor to gather clothes. When I spoke, I watched her body go rigid. "Why did you ask for the divorce, Sakura?"

"Excuse me?" she responded with a question as she twisted to look at me.

"The divorce. As much as I want you back, I think I resent you for wanting to give up. I didn't touch another woman until you asked me for the divorce." Her shoulders stiffened. "Even though it'd already been over a year, I still held out hope that you'd come back. When you asked me for the divorce, I hated you. I knew I needed to move on, but I still couldn't bring myself to let you go. When I got those papers, I never felt more like a fuckin' failure in my life. Was it that easy for you to give up?"

"That easy?" she repeated in a breathy, disbelieving whisper as her eyes strained to see, like she was trying to get a glimpse inside of my soul. I held firm, gave nothing away and her eyes closed so slowly I could feel her pain. They stayed that way for a while and when they opened, they were filled with tears I knew she was trying hard to hold back.

"You have absolutely no idea how much I loved you, do you?" she whispered.

I slammed my eyes shut and rubbed a hand down my face.

I did know. I was just an idiot.

"I never wanted a divorce, Sasuke," she started, her voice a little stronger. "But telling you I did was the only excuse I could think of to see you again…at least without risking humiliation. I thought you cheated and moved on from me, remember? I would have felt like a fool begging you to take me back after what I thought you did. I wanted _you _to fight for _me_, but you didn't. Instead, you looked me dead in the eye, called me a bitch and walked away from me like I never existed. Of course I went through with filing for divorce after that. I could only take so much rejection in my life."

I didn't say anything. I stared at her sitting on the floor, still in my clothes, looking so beautiful, so sad, so honest, so frustrated, and so…mine. She'd always been mine. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about all the time we'd missed out on because I hadn't been able to get my shit together.

I still remembered the day she asked for the divorce like it happened yesterday. Hell, every cup of coffee I drank reminded me of that day. I remembered her face perfectly when she'd asked if I could let her go "just like that".

"Freckles, come here," I ordered in a voice that was soft, yet still commanded her to obey, but like the hardheaded woman my Sakura was, I got resistance. She didn't move a muscle, and her glare should have burned a hole through my skull.

Surprisingly, this made me happy. I expected nothing less from my little pinkheaded terrorist.

"No, I'm staying right here. You stay over there. While you're figuring out more ways to be an asshole, I have things to do so I can get out of here. I'll talk to the leasing office and see if I can move into another apartment while I figure out how I'm going to break my lease...and pay for the damage—"

"Fine," I cut her off and her eyes widened when I moved. I saw her chest rise and stop as she held her breath. I lifted her face, bent at the knees and put my face in hers before taking her mouth with fierce need. The kiss was quick and hard, telling her exactly how I felt. When I lifted my head, her pink lips were swollen and her dark green eyes burned with desire...or fury.

"I fucked up…again, and I'm sorry. You were right; I was trying to hurt you because I was angry. I'm still angry, but not at you, at the decisions we made. It's only been two days and thinking about how much time we've missed out on together frustrates me more than you'll even know. If something from the past comes up again, we'll talk it out; we'll work it out, but I won't throw it in your face and you're not staying anywhere else but with me. No more about the past, agreed?"

Just when I thought she was about to agree without a fight, she shook her head. "I'll try not to scream at you until I make your ears bleed, but that's all I'm promising. And I'll stay with you, but I'm sleeping in another room. You can be _such _an asshole sometimes," she finished but she didn't sound upset anymore. She sounded resigned to a lifetime of putting up with me being an asshole.

I gave her a satisfied smile, moved my face closer and just before I kissed her lips, I mumbled, "Yeah, Freckles, but I'm _your _asshole. And you can sleep in whichever room you want as long as I'm in the same bed with you."

As my lips grazed hers, I heard, "Daayum," smarted from my back and I twisted just as Sakura moved to peer around my body. "I never knew that mouth of yours was so full of honey, Uchiha. Full of shit, yes. Honey, no. I knew you _got _the hunnies, but now I know how you did it."

I narrowed my eyes on Yamanaka and groaned. "You didn't have to come here, you know? We've got this under control. Feel free to leave."

"Pesh..." She waved my response away. "And miss seeing your face when I tell you hot boy Shiina gave me some information to give you about Soushi? I. Do. Not. Think. So."

I stood then. "Goddamn it, Ino. Tell me."

Sakura stood too and her hand grabbed mine. Ino's eyes locked on our hands and when her eyes hit mine again, she grinned.

"I don't know much. IA isn't being too forthcoming with information, but since Shii is our boy and he likes your girl, he shared a little. Apparently, whoever Soushi screwed over is big time...and I mean big time bad. A lot bigger than initially assumed. He wouldn't give me a name, but we're talking Mexican drug lord bad, dude, which is why everything is so hush-hush right now. Shii wanted me to tell you to keep an eye on your girl." She nodded toward Sakura. "He got word from a reliable source that Soushi is alive and back in town, but they don't have a lock on him yet."

Sakura's hand clenched mine so hard it almost hurt. I glanced down at her.

"Freckles, I won't let anything happen to you. Get your stuff and let's get out of here," I ordered before facing Ino again.

"I'll be back in the office tomorrow and Tuesday; we've got some work to do. Sakura's gotta be in court Wednesday morning and I'm going with her. After that, I'm taking vacation for the rest of the week."

"What if the Lieutenant doesn't approve?"

"He will," I stated without a doubt, because if he didn't, I'd quit.

Twenty-minutes later, about ten trash bags and a few boxes were loaded in the back of my truck and I was ready to go home. I stood in the parking lot, waiting for Sakura to come down and when I heard a door shut, I looked up.

And I froze.

_Fuck me._

I couldn't take my eyes off her as she walked down the stairs...no, bounced down the stairs. I'd never felt so turned on by looking at a chick's outfit in my entire damn life. I'd also never felt anxiety in my gut so strong either.

She'd changed out of my clothes, and straight into I'm-so-fine-you-can-kiss-my-ass-but-you'll-like-it fitted, frayed jean shorts—not slut short—but definitely not to her fuckin' knees like they should be. Even though she wasn't tall, her legs looked a mile long with the help of the high, black wedge sandals she wore on her feet. I couldn't see it, but I knew the tattoo she had carved into her skin on the top of her right foot was on display.

You could tell her sweet ass was nice and thick just by looking at her generous hips. Her skin tight, black with red lettering, Halestorm "Love Bites, But So Do I" tank top hugged her breasts in a way they looked twice their normal size...fuckin' huge. Her pink hair was still wild, and wide, blackframed sunglasses shielded her eyes.

She walked right up to me, lifted her head, tilted it to the side and smiled.

"Ready," she announced like she had no idea she was a walking wet dream.

"Baby, you can't wear that shit," I responded, and even though I couldn't see her eyes behind the glasses, I knew she rolled them.

"And why is that, Sasuke?" she asked sweetly, and I knew in that moment that she was wearing that outfit on fuckin' purpose. I wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, tangled my fingers in her hair and brought her face to mine. Her hands fisted the front of my shirt.

I growled, "Baby, that outfit makes me wanna take you on the hood of your car in the parking lot."

"Really? I'm down," she responded without hesitation, in a voice softer and huskier than normal.

I grinned and added, "You match your car."

She grinned back. "That was kind of the point."

"Hmmm…" I took in her outfit one more time with appreciation and then my eyes hit her foot. "I've been meaning to ask you about the tattoo. It's sexy as hell, but what's it mean?" I asked.

It was a perfectly placed piece on the outer side of her right foot that enhanced the sexy curvature. The profile of a butterfly colored in turquoise ink about an inch long sat in the middle and a scrolling design was attached to both the top and bottom of its wings.

She glanced down at it quickly and shrugged. "The top scroll is my initial 'S', the butterfly signifies growing up and spreading my wings, and the bottom scroll is your initial 'S'. I got it so I'll always remember to keep growing and learning from the past."

I closed my eyes against the pain, but she cupped my face.

"Sasuke, no past remember? And it's not a big deal. I didn't get it to remember the pain. I got it to signify growth within myself, that's all. Actually, it was more of a drunken night out with Sai and Sasori that ended at a tattoo parlor. You can't even tell the letters are actually just that. They just look like scroll work."

I looked in her eyes and knew she was telling the truth, which helped me keep calm.

"Well, I love it even more so now," I told her honestly.

She smiled. "Glad to hear it."

I sighed and glanced to her car that was parked next to my truck. Had it been dark outside, I would've considered buffing the hood out with Sakura's back while I lubed her, neighbors be damned, but it wasn't dark.

"I really think you should drive my truck. I don't want anybody looking at what's mine. And in that car, they're gonna fuckin' look."

Her grin, if possible, grew bigger. "Again, that was kind of the point. I have to make Cat look good even though nobody will be able to see what I'm wearing while I'm behind the wheel."

I stared at her a second before giving in. "Fine," I said through a sigh. "We'll talk about the car later."

"No, we won't. There's nothing to discuss that has to do with Cat, but there is something…" her voice trailed off and I frowned.

"What is it?"

She pursed her lips. "Since my laptop's destroyed and the program I use for booking trips was on it, and since it'll take at least a week for another one to be set up, I was going to see I could get one of the other agents to take over my bookings so I can take a couple weeks' vacation. I really need it after all this and I haven't had one in a while."

My frown deepened because she sounded hesitant and unsure of herself. "Baby, I don't understand what you're really trying to say."

"I just…I don't have anywhere else to go and you're going back to work tomorrow. I don't want to go to Sai's house because I'm still pissed at him, and I know you're all cave man right now about me staying with you, but…I guess I just want to make sure it's really okay if I stay at your house while you're not there."

"Jesus, Baby, it's still _our _house. _Your _name is still on the mortgage. Take the timeoff work, relax, shop, get used to being mywife again and if you decide you don't wantto go back, don't go. I'm gonna try to takesome more time off work, too. I'm also gonnatry really fuckin' hard to knock you up as fastas I can, anyway, so you wanna be a stay-at-homewife and mom. As long as I got youback with me, I really don't care what youdo."

Sakura shook her head and looked away, but not before I caught the longing in her eyes.

Family. She still wanted one. She could deny it all she wanted, but I knew she still longed for one of her own.

I was gonna give it to her.

I turned her face back to mine and I kissed her lips. "Don't think about it anymore. Everything will work out." I reached around her waist, cupped her ass and gave it a squeeze. "Now get your sweet ass in that car so we can get home, Baby."

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi! Another chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

**Sakura Uchiha**

Stares.

That's what I got when we pulled up to Sasuke's house. Rina, Renshiro and Yesha came out to greet us—I assumed Nina stayed back to watch the game—but as soon as I stepped out of the car, their eyes hit mine and never veered away.

I glanced at Sasuke who was just jumping down from his truck, and when his feet hit the ground, he looked at me too. He gave a quick head shake, before turning to the porch.

"You gonna help me unload this stuff or you just gonna stand there and stare?"

"Do you _not _see her? In that car?" It was Rina that asked and I stiffened. "I think I'll just stand here and stare," she decided, and Renshiro rolled his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his wife's small, yet very pregnant belly.

"Rinara, Baby, I'm pretty sure he was talking to me. Your pregnant ass isn't lifting anything." Then he faced Sasuke. "I can't believe you, Mr. that-car's-not-safe..." he mocked Sasuke's voice, "...actually let her drive that car…dressed like that."

I stiffened again, before glancing down to see what the hell the big deal was about my outfit. I knew it was extremely flattering to my figure, but I didn't look like a street walker. My black tank was fitted, but it didn't hug me like saran wrap. My shorts were cutoffs, but they weren't skin tight. They even had a decent amount of give around the thighs, and they weren't too short but they also weren't mid-thigh. And my black canvas wedges looked higher than they actually were because of the platform. Really, other than matching my car, there was nothing sexy about it.

"You should've seen her walking down the stairs from her apartment." Sasuke started with a sly grin on his face. "The only way she's leaving in that outfit or in that car again, is if I'm with her."

Okay, this was really starting to piss me off.

"Seriously, you look hot. If I were a lesbian, I'd totally cheat on Ann with you," Rina said before turning to Renshiro and asking, "Can you buy me a car like that?"

He laughed, threw his head back and cracked up like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. "Baby, you need a minivan at the rate we're going with kids. You're not getting a muscle car."

"Oh my God! That's the coolest car _ever_!" Nina said as she ran out of the house, down the front steps, and straight to Cat.

"Nina," Renshiro called out. "The answer is no. You're not driving until you're thirty, so don't even ask if you can have one."

Yeah right, Renshiro would probably give her whatever her little heart desired.

"Ahhh, man!" She looked up at me before asking anxiously, "Can I sit in it?"

I grinned at her. "As long as it's okay with your mom and dad, go for it."

And she went for it. Nina sat in Cat and rocked the steering wheel back and forth making "Vroom, vroom," noises until we were completely finished unloading Sasuke's truck. Not that it took very long, since I didn't have much stuff.

All my clothes ended up in Sasuke's bedroom and all my toiletries put in Sasuke's bathroom, which was just plain weird. He kept saying, "They're your rooms too, Baby," but again, weird. Whatever extra knick knacks I had were put in an extra bedroom for storage.

When all was done and we sat down to relax in the family room, the Texans game was still on. Sasuke rested against the arm of the couch and he wrapped an arm behind my neck. I snuggled up against his side and rested my head on his shoulder while Nina went on and on about some Texans Defensive End that was about to break the franchise record for most sacks in a single season, "J.J. Watt" - her words exactly.

Unbelievable how much the girl knew about football. However, now that I saw Mr. J.J. on TV, I made a mental note to find out the Texans schedule and watch every damn game from now on. Apparently, Renshiro played high school football, and from what I understood, he'd been really good, even earned a scholarship for it, but for some reason he didn't take it and joined the military instead.

By the dejected look on Rina's face during that topic, I made another mental note to ask Sasuke about their situation later.

But knowing Nina's daddy had played football, clearly explained why she loved it so much. And I thought it was a good thing for Renshiro too, since I'd put money on them having another girl. Though it didn't seem like he'd mind another little woman in his life to care for. The girls were all over him. Yesha, the cutie, when she wasn't into something or tearing something up, she was in her daddy's lap pointing out every feature on his face; eyes, nose, mouth and ears. And Nina, the beautiful girl, every time something caught her interest, whether with the game or a commercial, she made sure Renshiro was in on her excitement. And Rina…well, Renshiro was infatuated with her.

When Rina wasn't paying attention, he'd sneak affectionate glances at her and his macho face would gentle instantly. When Rina spoke, he watched her with adoration. He'd sneak in kisses, whisper in her ear, and rub her belly at random times just to show her he loved her without having to say the words.

It made me want to cry. I wanted that and I wondered if I'd ever have that. Sasuke and I could have had that, but we hadn't, and I wasn't sure it was possible after everything we'd gone through. I thought on that for as long as I could, but next thing I knew, I wasn't thinking about anything. I was out like a light.

Which was too bad since I never got to see the way Sasuke was looking at me when he whispered, "My heart, Baby," in my ear, before kissing the top of my head and squeezing me tight.

But Rina and Renshiro saw it and they were both relieved to say the least.

"Wake up, Freckles," I heard in my ear, later that night, as a hand caressed the side of my face and fingers shifted through my hair. "Come on, Baby, get up. Rina cooked dinner."

I blinked and, right away, I noticed my head was no longer on Sasuke's shoulder. It was now resting on his chest and my body was half on top of his and half on the couch. I blinked faster to clear my vision and then I slowly lifted my head to look up into Sasuke's face.

"How long was I asleep?"

"I don't know, couple hours. It's already seven."

My eyes widened. I slept that long? I lifted a little more to look around the room. "Did they leave?" I asked because other than the noise from the TV, it was quiet. Too quiet.

"Yeah, they had plans for tonight. Come on." He curled up by his abs and took me with him.

"Oh my God! I feel terrible that I fell asleep. They must think I'm so rude. Why didn't you wake me up?"

He looked at me like the idea was asinine. "It's been a long couple days for you, Sakura. You needed sleep. Besides, you were _out_. I moved to get comfortable, practically lifted you on top of me and you didn't even twitch."

And I was usually such a light sleeper.

"Sorry," I muttered, embarrassed.

"Don't be. You didn't hurt their feelings and you'll probably see them tomorrow anyway."

He stood off the couch and I followed his lead.

"What do you mean I'll see them tomorrow?" I asked as we walked down the hall and into the kitchen. I breathed in the delicious savory aroma of food and wanted to ask what Rina had cooked, but I waited for Sasuke to answer instead. And I waited some more.

"Okay, are you going to explain?"

He moved around the kitchen pulling down plates, silverware, and glasses as he spoke. "Well, I was thinking that maybe you could stay with Rina while I'm at work tomorrow. Maybe Renshiro could take you two shopping or something. I don't know. I hate the thought of you being here alone while Soushi is still running around."

My first instinct was to argue with him, but I was too tired. I sighed instead. I hopped up and onto a bar stool and then I thought about my words before opening my mouth. Truth was, I'd probably be a little scared staying at Sasuke's by myself too.

"Just until Wednesday, Baby," Sasuke continued as he placed a plate of food in front of me. "A day and a half. I'll take you to court on Wednesday morning and then I'll be on vacation after that, and I'll be with you."

"I'm not worried about Soushi. I'm more worried about whoever's after him coming after me. What if these guys don't find Soushi? I haven't even received a phone call from him and it's been almost two days."

"He's running right now, Sakura. If he's still alive, he'll contact you, trust me."

I picked up my fork and shuffled my food around on my plate as I sat deep in thought.

"Fine, I'll go to your sister-in-law's tomorrow." And as soon as the words were out of my mouth, the doorbell rang.

I glanced at Sasuke.

He looked at me.

"Stay here," he ordered as he took off out of the kitchen. I waited, heard the front door open and a few seconds later I heard a voice shout, "Are you holding her hostage?"

At that voice, I took off running. Sasuke would kill Sai before I even had a chance to talk to him.

Sasuke's rigid back was to me and I heard his voice, but not his words. I couldn't see Sai's face, but he sounded nervous and his voice shook when he said, "I had to. She was broken and hurting. I couldn't let her come back to you. You would have hurt her again."

I skidded to a halt.

"You fuckin' lied to her!" Sasuke roared and my body jerked. "She wanted to come back, and I fuckin' needed her back, but you made sure that never happened, didn't you?"

"You didn't see her—" Sai started.

"I tried! She wouldn't talk to me, she wouldn't see me, the only way I found out how she was doing was through my mom, who _died _watching _me _die a thousand deaths every fuckin' day I didn't have Sakura. Sakura was the only one I wanted, but you didn't let me have her. I don't have to explain shit to you and I'm not going to, but I will tell you, now that she's back, I'm fuckin' thrilled I didn't put that bullet through my head like I wanted to, but now I sure as fuck want to put it through yours!"

I heard Sai's sharp intake of breath, and I was scared for him.

I walked up behind Sasuke and placed one hand on his back, and my other one wrapped around his bicep. He looked down at me, looking far from happy.

"Tell him you're okay," Sasuke snapped. "Tell him whatever you have to, to get him out of here, but I don't think he deserves shit. And he's not welcome in our house."

I blinked a few times at his harshness. He turned, my hands fell to my sides and he stormed off. I didn't face Sai right away.

"Thank God you're okay," he muttered, before asking, "You are okay, right? I've been calling you and calling you, but it goes straight to voicemail."

I frowned and shook my head before looking at him. I kept forgetting about my damn phone.

"I have the ringer off and I've been a little busy," I answered honestly. "I've been arrested; somehow I'm back with Sasuke. Soushi is into drugs. I've been attacked. My apartment has been wrecked and I just found out my best friend lied to me. So I'm very far from being okay."

I watched as he visibly flinched and his face grew pained. "What are you talking about with Soushi? It's only been like two days."

"I'll tell you more about it later, but we both know a lot can happen in one night, let alone two days." He flinched again, but what I said hadn't been meant to hurt him. I took a deep breath. "Sai, there's too much to tell you right now and Sasuke's pissed, rightfully so, and so am I. I understand why you lied to me, but it also made things worse."

"I just wanted to protect you," he responded in a small voice and his eyes were sad. "I didn't want to see you hurting anymore."

"I know that, Sai. It's the only reason I don't hate you. You're my best friend and I know you were only trying to protect me, but it still hurts. Coming back to Sasuke should have been my choice, not yours."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I forgive you, but I don't like you right now."

He nodded and we stared at each other for a minute before he asked, "What does this mean?"

"I really don't know. I'll talk to him." I glanced behind me, even though I knew Sasuke wouldn't be there. "He'll come around, I'm sure. He's just mad right now."

"Damn fuckin' straight I'm mad!" I heard Sasuke holler and it sounded like he was back in the kitchen. I didn't know whether to laugh or cringe.

I locked eyes with Sai and his eyes were huge. "Is he gonna kick my ass?"

"Probably!" Sasuke shouted again and I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

Sai sighed. "I don't like this, Sakura."

This time Sasuke's voice was right behind me and I turned. "You don't have to like it. None of this is really any of your business, but since you're her best friend, I'll tell you: I love her. I've loved her since the day I met her. Whatever you think you know is wrong. We're back together now and you can either accept that or you can find another best friend."

Sai and I gasped at the same time.

"I see you don't like that idea, so I suggest you get on board," Sasuke continued growling.

"Can Sai please come inside so we're not standing in the doorway?" I asked and after a minute of glaring at Sai, he glanced down at me and studied me carefully. I looked him in the eye and pleaded, "Please, Baby."

His body relaxed and he looked at me like I'd just found the answer to world peace. His beautiful obsidian eyes glowed and his face gentled. He touched his thumb to my bottom lip and he didn't hesitate nodding. He bent and kissed me softly.

But when he glanced back to Sai, he growled. "Only because she asked nicely."

Then he turned and walked back to the kitchen. I turned to Sai, who was watching Sasuke's back as he walked away.

"I still don't like him, but I must admit, I kinda missed the growling," Sai said wistfully and I rolled my eyes.

We'd just finished eating the dinner Rina cooked; chicken, mashed potatoes and broccoli. When I'd asked Sasuke why Rina cooked when she knew she wouldn't stay to eat, he explained that she loved to cook and any chance to do it, she did. It made me feel guilty.

"Sasuke, you know Sakura still doesn't cook," Sai shared and I glared at him. "You sure you still wanna stay married to her?"

"Shut up, Sai. I cook, as long as whatever I'm cooking comes with directions."

"Yeah, precise directions. If the timing is off by a few seconds, you burn it."

I gasped.

"Doesn't really matter since I can cook pretty damn well for the both of us," Sasuke retorted and I had to keep myself from sticking out my tongue and chanting, "Na na nana na..."

Instead I added, "He even wears an apron."

Sai shook his head and muttered, "Good to know your kids will survive."

I stiffened and the temperature in the room dropped to twenty below arctic.

"Shit," Sai hissed. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. You know I didn't mean anything by it." I knew he didn't, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

"It's all right," I told him and gave him a genuine smile.

"Sakura, it just came out, I'm sorry."

"Really Sai, it's all right." I said that, but it also reminded me of something. I excused myself from the table. "I'll be right back."

Ten minutes later, I had clothes scattered all across the floor and I didn't even bother picking them up before I ran down the stairs. When I hit the kitchen, Sasuke was watching me oddly and Sai glanced at me, but he didn't pay me much attention. I walked to the counter and started moving things around.

_Where the hell were they?_

I grabbed my keys off the counter and headed for my car. Why my birth control pills would be in there I had no idea, but I couldn't find them anywhere.

"Freckles, where you goin'?" Sasuke asked.

I called out, "To my car real quick!"

Five minutes later, I was back in the kitchen feeling a little sick. I threw my keys on the counter and grabbed Sasuke's.

"Baby, what the fuck?"

"I'm looking for something!" I called out in frustration before heading outside to search Sasuke's truck.

Another five minutes, and I was back in the kitchen feeling deathly ill and panicked.

_What the hell? Am I losing my mind?_

"You all right?" Sai asked.

I glanced at him and nodded before looking at Sasuke.

"Have you seen my pills? They're not in my purse and they're not in the bedroom or the bathroom. They're not in either of our vehicles…" my voice trailed off as I considered where else they could be.

I glanced at the living room and wondered if they could be in there, but I knew they couldn't be. I hadn't been in there since the first night here.

"What pills are you talking about, Baby?" Sasuke asked, and I didn't know what it was—his sugary sweet tone or the question itself—but dread filled my stomach and replaced the sickness.

I turned slowly.

My eyes hit Sasuke's and I knew instantly. The ugly truth was written all over his face. He didn't look smug about it; in fact, it was the exact opposite. His expression was that of fake innocence even though I hadn't accused him of anything…yet.

I suddenly felt like my world was crashing down all around me and my heart was buried under the rubble.

"What did you do?" I growled, even though I already knew the answer. My voice was low and dangerous, and my narrowed eyes promised murder, execution style.

His eyes veered to Sai quickly, before coming back to me. "What are you talking about?" he asked, continuing to play his game even though he knew I knew. I wanted to slap him.

"You know _exactly _what I'm talking about, Sasuke. My birth control pills. Please tell you just hid them and you're playing a sick joke?" I ordered, but his face gave nothing away.

"Oh shit," Sai breathed. "Uhhhh…maybe I should go," Sai cut in and I heard his chair scrap on the floor as he stood, but I never took my eyes off Sasuke.

"You can stay a little longer," Sasuke offered, sounding a lot like a plea.

I turned my narrowed eyes on my best friend and growled, "Sai, unless you want to die a slow and painful death, I suggest you get out of here now."

"I'm gone, Sweetheart. The last thing I want to be is an accessory to murder. I do _not _look good in orange and I bet those jumpsuits are itchy—my skin is sensitive. Plus, I gotta get home to Sasori, anyway. He's probably worried sick. Call me tomorrow?"

He was already on the move when I nodded. I was so angry it was the only thing I could do. He walked to me, kissed me on the cheek, and faced Sasuke, who now looked justifiably terrified.

"I still don't like you, but for some reason, I find myself feeling sorry for you right now. Good luck, my man." And with that, Sai was gone.

"Tell me where they are?" I demanded as soon as I heard the front door slam shut.

"Freckles—"

"Don't _Freckles _me, Sasuke! Everything was going so well between us and then you do this! Where are they?"

He sucked in his bottom lip, my eyes dropped to his mouth.

"They're with the City of Houston."

My brows met in confusion as my eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

He glanced to the side and my eyes followed in the same direction. I felt the blood drain from my face as realization hit, and it hit hard.

"You didn't?" I breathed, still looking at the sink.

"I told you. We talked about this and you agreed. I don't want anything between us…in any way, Baby."

"When the hell did I agree?" I asked on a near shout.

"Well, you might have been half asleep when you agreed, but you still agreed."

I stared at him like I had no idea who he was.

"I might have been half asleep," I repeated his words quietly to myself. That was it? That was his response? He didn't even talk to me about it, before taking it upon himself to throw my pills _down the fucking_ _drain_?

I wanted to hurt him, but I also had to think fast. Why had I not seen this coming? I knew he was capable of just about anything, but throwing birth control pills down the drain…who would have thought of that?

Sasuke, enough said.

I gave him one long piercing evil glare and turned away.

"Sakura, we need to talk about this," he called out after me as I ran back up the stairs.

I walked into the bedroom, slammed the door, found my purse, and pulled out my cell to call my doctor. Hopefully, I'd get the after hour service.

But a second later my phone felt like it weighed at least fifty pounds.

I had five missed calls and two new voicemails. My heart skipped a few beats. I didn't want to touch my phone anymore, but I was also too curious not to. I wanted to put it back in my purse and forget I ever saw the screen, but I knew I couldn't avoid it.

I slid my finger across the screen.

Three calls were from Sai and two were from a blocked number. I sat on the bed and stared at the phone as I contemplated listening to the messages. Was I ready for this?

My finger shook as I pressed play on the screen, and when I put the phone to my ear, I was afraid to let it touch my face.

I listened.

The first call was from three o'clock this morning.

_Why hadn't I checked earlier?_

"Angel, it's me," Soushi's voice said softly in my ear. I swallowed hard. "I wish you would have picked up the phone so I could hear your voice, but I know you're asleep. I'm sure you already know I'm in trouble, but I'm gonna get the money and make things right. I'm gonna need your help. I can't stay on the phone long, but I want you to know that I love you and I promise I'll make this right. Whatever you do, don't go to your place and stay out of public. Stay at Sai's and I'll come for you. I love you."

"Oh God," I breathed as I covered my mouth and listened some more.

The next two voicemails were from Sai's number so I skipped them to get to the last and I was vaguely aware of Sasuke entering the bedroom.

"Sakura, Angel, I need you to keep your phone with you at all times." He sounded a bit annoyed now. "I don't have long, but I need to talk to you and I need to know that you're okay. I've been by Sai's and I know you're not staying with him. I'll follow him to find you. Answer the phone next time I call."

The loud slam on the other end of the line echoed in my ear and it oddly sounded like it was shouting, "Danger".

I looked up at Sasuke and knew he could tell something was wrong by the tears in my eyes, but I wasn't too far gone to know I was still mad at him. And I was tired. Tired of everything. I stood from the bed, walked to him, shoved my phone in his hand and walked out of the room.

He could call whoever he needed to call and make all my decisions for me. Sasuke did whatever the hell he wanted; Soushi was fucking with my life and I didn't have a say in anything. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

Throwing out my birth control pills…who does that?

**...For those who don't know who Ann is (she was mentioned in the previous chapter), she's Rina's best friend and the wife of Tou (you'll read a bit of them in the later chapter/s), the one whose wedding was left by Sasuke to go Sakura when she called. Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters! :}**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hi guys! Here's another chapter for you guys!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any or its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

I groaned as I ended the call with Sai. As much as I hated him, I had to warn him about Soushi. Sakura would die if something happened to Sai. Between my call to Shiina and the one to Sai, I'd been stuck in the room a lot longer than expected and I was restless to get to Sakura.

Hearing Soushi's voicemail when he referred to Sakura as his angel and told her he loved her had been torture. She was mine and I needed to reassure myself that she was still here. Just the thought of coming inside her with nothing between us had me rushing down the stairs. I wanted to touch her...hold her.

I knew she would still be pissed at me for throwing her pills out, because she obviously didn't remember agreeing to no more birth control, but she'd get over it as soon as she realized I did it for her own good.

I found her sitting in my recliner in the family room watching TV and she didn't even glance in my direction. The only acknowledgement I got was her face hardening. I didn't like that so I walked directly to her and scooped her out of the chair.

She shrieked. "What the hell, Sasuke?"

I walked to the couch and sat down with her in my lap. She kept one arm wrapped around my neck and I wrapped my arms around her waist to keep her from moving. "Baby, we gotta talk."

"No, _Baby, _we don't gotta talk. I'm not speaking to you for the rest of my life."

She said that, but while she said that, she wiggled her ass in my lap so that she was comfortable enough to turn her attention back to the TV.

I bit my tongue to keep from smiling, because I knew it'd just piss her off more. Fine, she didn't want to talk, neither did I.

Remember that little thing about nothing between us? Yeah, her ass wiggling in my lap hadn't helped, and she wiggled once more and stiffened, I knew she felt it too.

I slowly lifted the side of her shirt until my fingers grazed the skin at her waist...then her back...then her waist again.

"Sasuke, I have a headache," she said, trying to deter me, but her breathy words said something differently. My smile broke free, but she couldn't see it.

"Want me to make it go away, Baby?" I asked as my fingers trailed purposefully slow up her back. I watched goose bumps break out across her skin.

"No, I don't want you to make it go away. I'm busy," she breathed again, and now I knew she was just making shit up.

"Busy doing what, exactly?" I unhooked her bra with one hand and her back straightened, but only for a second. She relaxed as soon as I moved in to kiss her behind the ear.

"What?" she breathed and now, I knew she was lost.

I had to move fast, otherwise, I knew she'd snap out of the daze she was in. I flipped her to her back; she let out a screech, and I maneuvered her on the couch so that I was on top of her with my hips between her thighs. I leaned over her, framed her face with my hands and looked in her stunned eyes.

"I want you," I groaned as I rubbed myself against her.

Her eyes closed slowly.

I rubbed again.

"But I'm busy," she repeated in what sounded a lot like a moan.

"Yeah, Baby. You're about to be real busy," I groaned as I rubbed once more.

Her eyes flew open. "You don't understand. I'm watching Polygamy U.S.A. The Brethren just called a missionary to tell him he's getting married, and I'm dying to see what the chick looks like. I can't miss it."

I froze and frowned. "Why the hell are you watching Polygamy U.S.A.?"

"Because it's fascinating. It's this small community and all the men have like three wives and thirty kids, but they all seem really nice, and the main missionary director guy is hilarious."

The three wives caught my interest, which is why I responded, "I can't seem to handle one wife, how the hell can these men handle three?"

"I don't know, but it works. Plus it's on National Geographic so it has to be real, right?"

Sounded interesting.

"TiVo it," I ordered, before I lifted to unbutton the jean, cut-off shorts I'd been dying to get her out of all day.

She stopped me with her hand and whispered, "I can't do this."

I stopped and looked down at her face. She looked petrified.

"You're scared," I told her, and even though it wasn't a question, she still agreed.

"Yes."

"Is that why you keep making excuses for me to stop?"

Silence, and then, "Yes," she whispered.

I let out a deep breath as I studied her carefully. "Sakura, there's nothing to be scared of. I love you. I'll take care of you and I won't let anything happen to you. I want you pregnant with my baby more than anything I've ever wanted in my life. I want this house full of little monsters by the time I'm forty, and I'm already thirty-one. You've been on birth control for a long time, so it'll probably take a while for you to get pregnant anyway. We should start now."

She took a shuddering breath before speaking. "But you don't know if it'll work out."

I wasn't sure if she meant us or the pregnancy, but it didn't matter.

"Yeah, Sakura, I do. I can't control nature, but I can control our relationship, and whatever happens, we'll get through it together. You and me. I want this…" I touched her stomach, "…filled with my baby, and I want to experience it all with you. I also know you still dream about having a family of your own. I won't give up and I won't ever let you go again, so you might as well give in now."

Tears filled her eyes, but she didn't let them fall. She stared so deeply into my eyes I wondered if she saw into my heart.

"But it's only been two days," she whispered.

"Does it feel like it's only been two days? Because it feels like a lot longer to me, and besides, like I said, you won't get pregnant tomorrow. You'll have time to get used to the idea."

She closed her eyes and they stayed that way. I felt miserable at her dismissal and moved to get up, but was stunned when she pulled me to a stop.

"Sasuke, if you hurt me, you will never _ever _see me again. I'm scared, but I'm also strong enough to know that I want this too."

I kissed her once, and then once more, before I rested my forehead against hers.

"I'm glad you agreed because I want to come inside you so fuckin' bad... I would have cried if you said no."

I felt her smile. "Hmmm…well then, you better hurry. I don't like sissy boys."

_Hurry? Hell no. I was taking my sweet ass time._

And I did.

I stood, turned off the TV and dimmed the lights.

I lifted Sakura off the couch and I took my time undressing her. I took my time caressing every inch of her smooth skin. I took my time memorizing every sexy curve, every erotic dip and every sensual swell of her perfectly shaped body.

"Bed?" I asked.

"Right here," she returned.

That was all I needed to hear. I snatched the blanket off the back of the couch and threw it half-ass over the carpet.

We moved to the floor.

I lay at her side and took my time kissing, nipping and teasing every inch of her warm flesh until her body was begging me to take her.

And I did.

I covered her body with mine and took my time entering her. Gently. Slowly. I took my time kissing her sweet mouth and licking her soft lips. I took my time savoring the feel of her insides clenching around me, and I took my time pleasuring her. I took my time swallowing every one of her sweet moans and enticing whimpers.

But as soon as her teeth rasped against my neck, I couldn't take my time anymore.

I pushed harder and faster until our bodies were hot and slick. I pressed my chest to hers, gripped her thighs, lifted them higher and sank deeper. When her nails bit into my back, I knew she was close.

"Sasuke," she breathed in my ear before nipping it.

I groaned, and a moment later, I felt her orgasm rip through her body and she took me along for the ride. I followed her down and came so hard inside her I wasn't sure if the pleasure would ever stop.

"Next time, I get to do all that to you," she panted against my ear moments later.

I chuckled and moved to roll off her, but to my surprise, she wrapped her arms around my neck to hold me in place.

"I like you where you are," she whispered and I lifted my head, brushed the hair off her face, and kissed her.

"So do I, Baby, but I don't want to crush you. Come on."

"Wait. Where are we going?" she asked as I pulled her to stand.

"Shower."

I held her hand and pulled her with me until we made it to the bathroom...where I showed her body even more attention.

"Freckles, you went a little crazy looking for your birth control pills, don't you think?" Her clothes were scattered all over the floor. I had to step on most of them just to get to the dresser.

"Uhhh…yeah, sorry about that. I'll pick them up in a minute." I heard her shuffling around as she spoke and I knew she was probably looking through one of the trash bags for something to sleep in.

Then I heard, "Can I borrow one of your shirts until I can sort through my stuff?"

I slipped into my boxer-briefs and replied, "Whatever you want, Baby." I searched through my dresser, pulled out a white t-shirt and turned just in time to see Sakura slipping some panties on underneath her towel.

I wanted her again.

"Uh huh. Not happening, Sasuke," she said through a smile when she caught my look.

"What?" I asked innocently as I handed over my shirt.

She took it from my hands and let her towel drop to the floor. I sucked in a sharp breath. She was perfect. She was in little black lacy panties with a pink bow on the front. I had to adjust myself as I watched her slip my shirt over her head, even though I'd just finished having her in the shower a second time.

"You can have me again after you help me pick up my clothes."

She raised her eyebrows in expectation and I sighed.

"Why can't I have you before _and _after?" I might have sounded like a whiny horny teenager, but what man wouldn't?

Her smile grew and her eyes lit up. "You know, if you have me before, there won't _be_ an after."

She was right, of course. If I had her before, I'd never let her out of bed. But I didn't have to like it.

She stepped closer, her hands hit my chest and she lifted her face to mine. "You look sexy when you pout," she said sweetly, and I sighed.

"Let's do this so I can get you in bed," I ordered and after a swift kiss, we got down to business sorting her shit.

As we started going through the first few bags, I waited and wondered if she was going to ask about my conversation with Shiina. I didn't want her to worry about it, but she also needed to know what to expect.

"Are you planning on asking me about my conversation with Shiina about Soushi's messages?"

Her eyes found mine and they looked worried. "I was, but I'm not sure I want to know. I figured if it was something bad you would have told me by now. Why? What happened?"

"Nothing too bad, but remember how I mentioned you should go shopping with Rina tomorrow?" She nodded. "I'm not sure that's a good idea anymore." She visibly stiffened and I continued. "He mentioned following Sai and he mentioned finding you. I don't want anything to happen to you, Sakura."

"Oh my God...I didn't even think…I was so upset. I need to call Sai and warn him," she rushed out and looked around the room, probably for her phone.

"Sakura, calm down. I already called him."

She twisted and breathed, "You did?"

"Yeah. I told him to keep an eye out and call in anything suspicious. Shiina's working on tracking where the calls came from, so we'll see. Don't stress about it. I won't let anything happen to you."

She studied me closely and the trust she had for me shone bright in her eyes. Her body relaxed and she responded, "Thank you."

"Always, Baby."

I jerked awake and immediately searched for Sakura, though I wasn't sure why since she was on her side with her head on my shoulder, arm around my stomach and leg tangled with mine.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked having been awakened by my movement. I laid still a moment. I didn't know what was wrong; I just knew something wasn't right.

And then I practically threw her away from me and jumped out of bed.

"Sasuke—"

"Get dressed, Baby, and hurry. I smell smoke." She didn't hesitate jumping out of bed after me. I had no idea why the smoke alarm hadn't gone off, but I knew I had to get Sakura out of the house.

_Fuck!_

My heart was beating triple time and I ran to throw on some shorts. I heard Sakura running around as well. The bedroom door had been left open and I moved to look down the hall, but as soon as I passed by the bedroom window something caught my attention and stopped me in my tracks.

I saw exactly where the fire was coming from.

"Fuck!" I shouted and everything that happened next moved at warp speed. I turned to Sakura, who was already watching me with terror in her eyes, and barked, "Call 911, tell them there's a fire and stay in this room until I come back. Lock the door behind me, and Sakura, whatever you do, do not open that door until you hear me."

I walked to the nightstand, pulled out my Glock and ran out of the room without waiting for Sakura's response.

I could have run outside, waited for the fire truck and watched Sakura's car burn, but I didn't give a shit about anything but Sakura's safety. I checked every room in the house on the top floor before moving downstairs. Regardless if all the windows and doors appeared closed and locked, I checked room after room and closet after closet. I had to make sure Soushi wasn't in the house. I had no doubt it was him who set the fire.

My instincts told me so.

He had to have followed Sai here. It was too much of a coincidence; the voicemail, Soushi's warning, Sai coming over, Sakura's car…all of it. Things always happened for a reason.

When I was sure the house was secured, I walked to the front door and just so happened to step out onto the front porch as the fire truck was pulling up. Luckily, our house sat on a little over three acres so all the neighbors were safe. My truck was also backed up to the front door because I hadn't moved it since unloading all Sakura's stuff, and my Tahoe was still parked in the garage. Both seemed to be far enough away from Sakura's car.

_Fuck! She's gonna be so upset._

I watched the firefighters get off and they immediately started working to put out the fire. One of them came to me and I introduced myself, gave him a quick rundown, and seconds later, four uniformed officers showed up. One I knew, the others I didn't. I gave them the rundown as well as fast as I could and then I went back inside, grabbed my cell phone and headed upstairs.

"Sakura! Open the door, Baby." I knocked on the door and waited. A moment later, the lock turned, the door opened and Sakura stood in front of me with tears in her eyes. I cupped her cheek, needing to feel her warmth in my hands. She looked devastated, but she wasn't crying.

"Are you okay?" I asked low.

She took a deep breath, held it, nodded, and then exhaled long and hard.

Then we both turned at the sound of a phone ringing, and it wasn't mine. Sakura ran to the night stand and I followed. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled to pull the phone off the charger.

"Hello," she answered, but when she heard nothing she continued, "Soushi, is that you?"

She shook her head at me, pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the screen and then hit the speaker button.

"Soushi, if you're there, please say something," she begged, but nothing came from the other end. She swallowed hard, looked me in the eye and tried again, "Soushi, please say something."

"I saw you..." Soushi hissed before roaring, "I fucking saw you with him!"

Sakura's eyes squeezed tight.

I froze.

I hadn't felt this much dread since the night Sakura had the miscarriage. I knew that whatever was about to come next wasn't going to be good.

"Soushi—" Sakura whispered his name like a painful plea, but Soushi cut her off.

"I'm gonna kill you," he vowed, firm, and that was all we heard before the line went dead. Sakura dropped the phone to the ground like it shocked her and I pulled her into my arms.

"Oh God!" she breathed, and her whole body shook.

"Don't, Sakura. He's just trying to scare you." At least I sure as hell hoped that was all it was.

"He set my car on fire, didn't he?" she asked so low I could barely hear her, but I knew she'd started crying.

I squeezed her tighter and swore to hurt Soushi if I ever got my hands on him.

"Yeah, Freckles, but don't worry about this. He'll be caught soon." Or killed, but I didn't say that out loud. "The only really bad news, other than your car, is that you're gonna have to come to work with me tomorrow. I don't want you out of my sight."

Her head snapped up and her eyes hit mine. "You're kidding?"

I kissed her forehead. "No, Baby, nothing about this is funny."

And when the alarm sounded at six o'clock in the morning, Sakura knew exactly how not funny this was.

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	28. Chapter 28

**Hi! Before anything else I would like you guys to know that I won't change anything about how Sasuke calls Sakura 'Baby' (I think it's sweet for a 30 Y.O. to call someone that, not childish), or how Sasuke's 'assholeness' affects Sakura, or how Sakura's not independent (she can't be because she barely pays her apartment's rent even though she's got a work and it was trashed by the guy looking for something, remember?) or how Sasuke wants babies FAST. Thank you for sharing me your thoughts, I appreciate them! :)**

**Now let us see more of Sasuke assholeness shall we? Enjoy!**

**NOTE: CHARACTERS DO NOT BEHAVE IN THEIR USUALLY KNOWN BEHAVIORS!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

**Sakura Uchiha**

"Let Soushi kill me. As long as I get to sleep longer, I don't care," I mumbled, because I was still half asleep and waking up this early sucked.

"Sakura…" Sasuke growled, but I ignored him. It was too early to put up with his bossiness and I was exhausted. Between listening in on Sasuke's conversation with Shiina, his conversation with his Lieutenant, crying my eyes out over my car, watching a tow truck load up and take off with Cat's remains, showering again to get the smoke stench off our bodies, and worrying myself to death, I'd only slept three hours, tops.

And I was _not _a morning person.

I maneuvered my head under my pillow and prayed Sasuke couldn't see me. Maybe if Sasuke couldn't see me, he'd forget I ever existed. Out of sight, out of mind. But a moment later, the pillow disappeared and I realized the lights had been turned on. I squeezed my eyes tight and whined, "Turn off the lights."

"Sakura, we gotta get going or I'll be late for work."

"So go without me," I muttered, praying he'd say okay and go away. Then I felt the mattress dip at my side and a hand brushed the hair off my face.

He spoke right against my ear. "I hate waking you up, but there's no way I'm leaving you here alone. Get up, Baby," he ordered with affection before I felt his heat, and his weight leave me. A moment later, a loud smack echoed in the room when he spanked my ass. I growled and lifted my head to yell at him, but his mouth swooped down and covered mine, before I had the chance.

_Bastard._

He pulled away and I scrunched up my nose.

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet," I informed him.

His grin lit up the already bright room. "Neither have I. Now get up."

And I did, grudgingly.

After using the bathroom and brushing my teeth, I stood in the closet for at least ten minutes wondering what in the hell I was supposed to wear to a police station, but just as I was about to give up, I heard Sasuke walk in.

"You okay in here?" he asked and I turned.

I froze at what I saw.

I knew it was my half unconscious state, because on a normal day, my girly parts would not ache for him at six o'clock in the morning, but I wanted to jump him. His body took up the doorway and he looked oddly bigger than usual. He was dressed in black slacks, a crisp white, button-down shirt with the sleeves already rolled up to his forearms, a black leather belt and black leather shoes. He wore his badge on his belt and his gun on his hip.

_Sweet baby Jesus._

"You look really, really good," I told him and I couldn't meet his eyes, because I was too busy staring at his body.

"Baby, stop looking at me like that. We don't have time," he warned and I nodded as I stalked him. He watched me and I kept going until I stood in front of him, but not close enough to touch.

"Sakura, I want to take you for breakfast," he said, and I knew he in fact meant sitting down somewhere to eat for breakfast, but my mind was already stuck doing the dirty with Sasuke.

"Well then, take me for breakfast and do me right here, right now, and make it fast," I decided, before shimmying out of my panties.

And then I was facing the back closet wall, hands over my head and legs spread wide. Sasuke gripped my waist hard, fingers pressing deep, he shoved his face in my neck and took me from behind.

And to help ensure we both got off and still made it in time for breakfast, I dropped one arm, arched my back more and reached between our legs to cup him and caress him.

"Shit, fuck," he hissed and needless to say, we both came fast, hard, and loud.

I was starving, but really, I needed coffee and lots and lots of sugar. My life depended on it. I could easily go without food, but coffee—no way in hell. I'd wanted to make some for the road, but Sasuke was adamant that we stop and eat first, so there hadn't been enough time.

Well, there had been, but Sasuke was being a douchebag.

During the entire drive downtown, he'd been quiet, silently brooding. A complete one-eighty compared to the mood he'd been in after our quick expedition in the closet earlier. When I asked what was wrong, he squeezed my hand and assured me everything was fine, but his mood told another story.

And his mood was affecting my already dejected mood. I'd been acting fine and pretending everything was okay, because I didn't want to dwell on _all _of my current problems, but I was far from fine. I mean, Cat was gone, my baby, the car I bought after I'd left Sasuke and fixed up to look better than brand new.

Then I found out Soushi was a lunatic.

I'd been forcing myself not to let my devastation show, but Sasuke was making it hard, and by the time we walked into Gerry's Diner, nothing had changed.

All heads turned in our direction when the bell chimed over the door and Sasuke greeted a few patrons like he knew them personally. And even though Sasuke held my hand firmly in his, I could tell he was more than a little uncomfortable.

I couldn't recall ever seeing him so uncertain, which was exactly how he appeared.

"Baby, as much as I want to fuck you in that outfit, you realize I'm gonna catch shit for it at the office," he said, as soon as we were seated in a booth and left alone to look over our menus.

He didn't sound angry or annoyed. He just sounded…

Odd. Maybe even a little troubled.

I immediately wondered if it was my outfit that had changed his mood, but I quickly shoved the thought aside.

I remembered his expression as he'd watched me walk down the stairs back at the house. I remember his face as he'd stared at me, so hard I'd thought he might have a heart attack.

I remembered how he'd laughed—hard—and shook his head at the fact that I'd coordinated my outfit with his, but he'd made sure to tell me just how sexy he thought I looked. His expression had told me the same.

I wore my snug-in-the-booty, black, boot-cut slacks, my white, see-through, sleeveless button-up top, with a white, satin camisole underneath, my black, patent leather, peep-toe heels and the matching belt. I left my hair down and wavy, and I curled my eyelashes, swiped on some mascara and brushed some clear gloss on my lips... which, of course, he'd wiped off the second I'd stepped off the last step and he'd kissed me.

"Sasuke, will you please tell me what's wrong?"

He'd been looking around the room, but as soon as I spoke, his eyes came to me.

"Nothing's wrong, Freckles," he answered, and immediately after, his eyes glanced around the room again, searching for something.

I inhaled, exhaled, and sank into my seat. He didn't want to talk? Fine. I wouldn't talk either, but no sooner than I'd made that decision did Sasuke sit up straight.

"Sakura, I'll be right back. Don't move from this table," he ordered like a command and I clenched my teeth so tight it was a miracle I didn't crack a tooth. My eyes stayed trained on his back as he walked through a row of tables, past the front counter and into the kitchen.

_The kitchen?_

What could he possibly be doing in the kitchen? I turned away, added more sugar to my coffee, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

What felt like minutes later, our waitress came out to take our order and I just so happened to glance at the kitchen door just as it swung open and another waitress walked out.

It only stayed open approximately five seconds, but that was all the time I needed to see what I saw, and it only took me one more second to recognize whose face Sasuke was holding between his hands.

Her hair was darker, maybe by a shade, but I could never forget the profile of her face.

I started shaking. So much so, that I moved to set my coffee cup on the table and it slipped out of my hand. As soon as it crashed, I jumped, scooted out of the way, and climbed out of my seat before I got burned. Blood was pumping through my veins so hard and my muscles were so tense, I knew I would be sore later.

"Careful, Hon, let me get that for you," the waitress rushed as she pulled out some napkins and threw them on the table to soak up my mess. I didn't acknowledge her. Not even to thank her. I couldn't. My mouth wouldn't form words.

I didn't know what to do.

_Why would he do this to me now?_

I needed air.

_UGH!_

I couldn't breathe.

_That son of a bitch!_

I knew the waitress was watching me closely, but she said nothing, which was good because I wouldn't have been able to speak to her anyway. I reached across my seat, snatched up my purse, turned and headed for the door, praying the whole way out that I didn't trip over my own feet and embarrass myself more.

To think, I even dressed like him because I thought it would be funny and cute; only made me feel foolish.

I wanted to cry, but I denied myself the simplest of release because I was in a rage.

At least I found out why he'd been acting so strange.

My feet hit the pavement. I didn't know what to do or where to go. I was so nauseous, I felt faint. Only a few days in and he'd already broken his promise not to touch another woman... and that woman was _her._

I'd considered the possibility of accepting whatever friendship he had with that..._stripper_—without even knowing the whole truth—because deep down, I was dying to trust Sasuke.

But seeing them together again…

I knew I couldn't. I didn't care how sweet she was or what she did for him in the past or that he felt guilty for reasons still unknown.

I turned to walk across the street, because I had to get far away, but then I stopped and thought better of it. Soushi could be out there somewhere and I didn't want to leave one asshole only to run straight into the arms of another.

I was upset, but I wasn't stupid.

I turned in the opposite direction and headed back towards Sasuke's Tahoe.

As I was halfway between the diner and vehicle, I heard Sasuke shouting my name. I kept walking. Not hurried, not slow, just fast enough to get me to my final destination without incident.

"Baby!" Sasuke shouted again and his voice had grown closer, therefore louder.

I made it to the passenger door and tugged on the handle, but it was locked. My fucking luck. I heard Sasuke's feet pounding on the pavement and a second later his chest hit my side. I took a step back and looked up. He lifted a hand, ready to touch my face, but I slapped it away and hissed, "Don't fucking touch me."

He dropped his hand and flinched like I slapped him, but quickly regained his composure.

I turned away from him, faced the door and demanded, "I want to leave now. Unlock the door."

But I got nothing.

"Unlock the door!" I snapped louder. I'd never felt so much rage in my life.

"Sakura—"

I still couldn't look at him so I spoke to the window. "I saw you with her. I saw you _touching _her and you promised…you promised you wouldn't touch another woman!"

I looked up just in time to see him close his eyes.

"You didn't even warn me…" I started to accuse, but my voice trailed off as a horrendous thought hit me. "Is that why you've been acting so distant since we got here? Were you waiting for her to show up so you could warn her I was here?"

He didn't have to answer verbally. I got all I needed to know when his face paled.

I felt sucker punched.

"You love her," I breathed as pain ripped through my body and tears filled my eyes. She was more important to him than he'd led on.

I heard his sharp intake of breath. "What the fuck? Jesus, Sakura! You're overreacting. I don't love her, I love you. I didn't tell you, because I knew you wouldn't agree to come here otherwise. I just wanted you to meet her. I know the shit that happened between us still lingers in your mind and I wanted to get this out of the way so we can move forward with our lives…I'm sorry," he finished, sounding tormented, but I couldn't find it in myself to care.

I even saw the sincerity in his eyes, but there was also something else behind them, something he couldn't hide…guilt. He didn't only bring me here for myself; he brought me here because he had a guilty conscience. I had no idea how I knew that, but I was certain of it and I needed him to admit it to my face.

"You said you didn't fuck her, but something happened between the two of you after I left, didn't it?" I asked in a barely there, pained voice, and I watched as his entire body turned statue still. He looked absolutely terrified.

"I can't believe I'm so stupid," I breathed to myself.

He tried to reach for me again, but I backed away further.

"Baby, listen to me. It's not what you think. I came to see her right after you asked me for the divorce. I'd been drinking…" I kept backing away, shaking my head in disbelief, so he rushed on. "…and I was angry because I thought you moved on. I kissed her, but that was it. Nothing happened."

I gripped onto the bed of the truck, because I needed something to hold me up. I knew I had no right to be so upset, we hadn't been together, but I felt betrayed.

He'd touched her. Kissed her. Probably more.

It hurt so much, I wanted to disappear. This was my life, but what did I do that was so bad to deserve it?

"He was crying," a female voice added, so softly it was a wonder I actually heard her. Sasuke twisted and I glanced in the direction the sound came from to see Sasuke's _friend_. She was closing in on us and I stiffened at what I saw.

She was stunning, even more so than I remembered. Not even her worn-out Gerry's Diner t-shirt and faded black jeans could take away from her beauty.

She had flawless, tanned skin, cat-like eyes, and long eyelashes. She was thin but not skinny, looked about five-six, and she had huge boobs. Her sandy blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail and thick bangs were brushed to the side across her forehead.

But it was her limp that caught me by surprise and was completely unexpected.

It wasn't too bad, and it took nothing away from her beauty, but it was definitely obvious that she favored her right leg. I kept my eyes on her face and didn't glance down, because as much as seeing her offended me, I couldn't bring myself to be that deliberately rude.

She stopped walking when she made it to the front of Sasuke's Tahoe as if scared to come any closer.

As she should be.

She glanced in Sasuke's direction, but I knew she didn't meet his eyes. Then she glanced at me and did the same, refusing to meet my eyes.

"He was crying while he kissed me, and it only lasted about thirty seconds," she continued softly and I swear to God her voice trembled. "He was being rough with me." I glanced at Sasuke and watched as he squeezed his eyes shut. "And I knew it was because of you."

It was my turn to glare at her, but she couldn't see as she kept her eyes downcast. "He was angry and he was desperate for someone, or something to take his pain away. He was using me in that moment, and if he's had anyone else, you have to know that he was only using them too, because all he wanted was you. Don't leave him again because of me. _Please_," she begged as she fidgeted with her hands.

Reluctantly, she lifted her eyes and warm, inviting brown eyes locked with mine.

"We're really not friends. I consider him a friend, because I don't really have any, but he only comes in once, maybe twice a month to check on me. And he only does it because he feels guilty—"

"That's enough, Amane!" Sasuke snapped louder than I would have expected, and she winced. I winced for her.

_What the hell?_

"She needs to know," Amane replied, still softly, but showing her first sign of backbone. Sasuke shook his head, but she ignored him and went on. "He thinks he got me hurt. My leg. I know you saw me limping, you can't miss it. He blames himself for it, but it wasn't his fault," she finished and I jerked my head back because I was lost.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

Sasuke swiped a hand down his face and let out a frustrated groan.

"Sakura, like I told you before, Amane was our informant on my first case. She was being forced into prostitution and needed help. Her boss was onto her; he was onto me being a cop and she was stabbed in the thigh as punishment before the other officers could get to her in time. And the reason they didn't get there in time is because when I ran after you, I blew the case," Sasuke answered.

"Oh my God!" I breathed hard and covered my mouth as understanding sank in.

Finally.

He turned to face Amane. "What happened to you _was _my fault, because I never should have taken that fuckin' case in the first place. But I'm not _friends _with you because of that and you know it. You had a shitty first start, but you're a good person and so much stronger than you think you are."

Her eyes widened in surprise, but Sasuke didn't look at her long enough to catch it, because he turned back to me.

"What happened between us was mostly my fault too, but we already went over that. Our past got fucked up, but we're starting over whether you like it or not. I love you and you love me…my heart, Baby." His voice softened. "Now get ready, because I'm about to sound like a whipped, dumbass, fifteen-year-old boy, but I love you and if you don't want me to talk to Amane anymore, I won't. But, you have to know it's innocent between us."

He made me crazy.

In-fucking-sane.

He always did and said the wrong thing, but somehow managed to make up for it after the fact. How he pulled it off, I had no idea. Maybe it was that stupid baby face, or his smooth, deep voice, or his piercing eyes. Why he never said or did the right thing to begin with, I'd never know.

But just because he made things clear, that didn't mean I wasn't still hurt.

He'd fucked up.

He never took his eyes off me and I glared at him quickly, before glancing at Amane. She looked away from me the second my eyes hit her face, but I didn't miss her panicked expression and I felt terrible...for a lot of things, but not for Sasuke being an idiot.

I faced him again. "I'm really upset right now, Sasuke. You went about introducing me to her the wrong way and you really fucked up. Had I been prepared, had you not been acting like a douchebag since we left the house, then maybe things would have turned out differently—"

"You're not fuckin' leaving me," he growled and I sighed.

I really wanted to kick him.

"I honestly don't know what I'm going to do," I snapped. "You should have warned _me_ and not _her_. You should have cared about my feelings a little more than that, but you didn't and because of that, you only succeeded in confusing an already difficult situation for me. If I could leave here, I would, because I do not want to be around you right now."

He paled and looked shattered, but I ignored him to face Amane. Her sad, worried eyes met mine and I held them.

I softened my voice when I said in all honesty, "I won't take him from you. I'm not that childish or that immature. In a weird way, I understand your relationship with Sasuke and I can respect it. I'm not jumping for joy over it, but I appreciate your honesty and I like you for that." I paused to consider my next words so she and Sasuke, who were both staring at me, would have no doubt as to why I was upset.

"I'm sorry that we had to meet this way and I apologize for acting so standoffish…but he hurt me right now. I hope you understand that. It's almost as if I'm back in the same place I was with Sasuke six years ago. He wants me to trust him, but he doesn't trust me. He hasn't learned a single thing and I'm not sure I can be with someone who can hurt me so easily."

I heard Sasuke's sharp intake and his exhaled, "What?"

"So, _if _I don't stay with him, don't blame yourself. And, _if _I do, I hope the next time we meet will be under better circumstances."

I took a quick peek at Sasuke and felt nauseous when I caught his glassy eyes, but I quickly turned away before I broke down. I couldn't stand the sight of a man crying.

"Can you please unlock the door and turn on the Tahoe? I'll wait for you here while you eat breakfast or pay…or do whatever you have to do."

I didn't hear anything for a good minute, and that minute felt like an eternity. Finally, the locks popped. I hurried into the vehicle and rushed to shut the door behind me. I heard Sasuke open the driver's side door and turn the truck on, but I didn't acknowledge him.

"Sakura, I'm sorry."

_Jerk._

I peered out the front window and met Amane's still sad, yet heated eyes.

I heard Sasuke sigh, before he slammed his door. Amane's eyes went to him and I watched as she threw daggers in his direction. Then he walked closer to her, her eyes narrowed to slits on his face, and before he made it to her, I could have sworn she mouthed the word, "Asshole."

She spun around, gave Sasuke her back, walked to the diner and Sasuke followed behind her, shoulders slumped.

I couldn't pin point exactly why Amane was furious, because Sasuke really hadn't done anything to embarrass _her_, but the simple fact that she didn't fall for Sasuke's charms, like I would have expected, made me like her even much more.

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters! :}**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hi! Chapter update! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Sakura wouldn't say one word and she hadn't since I got back in the vehicle. No matter how many times I tried to apologize, she wouldn't even look at me.

I didn't blame her.

I fucked up.

Again.

But I hadn't meant to.

Again.

I needed a goddamn muzzle over my mouth.

I wished I knew how to explain why I handled the situation the way I did, but somehow I knew Sakura wouldn't want to hear anything I had to say. I also figured my reasoning only made sense in my head, since nothing made sense coming out of my mouth. I was scared to say anything other than, "I'm sorry."

It hadn't been that I cared more about Amane's feelings than Sakura's, not even close. Actually, it was the exact opposite. I just wanted us to be able to move on with nothing between us, and to me, that meant in every aspect of life.

I hadn't warned Sakura about meeting with Amane only because I knew she'd start a war with me over it—and no doubt about it, she would have fought hard—but I never considered that she'd look at it as though I was hiding it from her. And the last thing I'd expected was for Sakura to see this situation the same way she saw what I did to her in the past.

Sakura meant the world to me. Why couldn't she just get that through her thick skull and accept that?

Because bitches be crazy, that's why.

I pulled into the parking lot of the station, threw the Tahoe in park and turned to her.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I should have warned you, I realize that. I just worried that if I'd told you we were going to see Amane, you'd fight with me about it. I also didn't want to give you a chance to stress over something that's nothing, but I know it was a bad decision. I felt like I should warn Amane only because she's not as strong as you are. I messed up, Baby."

Still, she said nothing. Didn't even look at me. Then, she opened the door and slid out.

I slammed my hand down on the steering wheel and hissed, "Fuck."

It was noon.

I still hadn't seen Sakura and I missed her face.

As soon as we'd arrived, she'd asked my Lieutenant if she could sit in his office and he obliged, of course. Although he'd been hesitant at first, all it had taken was a few batting of her eyelashes and a pleading, "Pretty please with a cherry on top," that made him give in.

Just before she'd walked away, I'd asked her, "Sakura, please stay with me?" but she hadn't. She'd glanced at me, shaken her head, and walked straight to my boss's office.

My Lieutenant had frowned at me, but I'd given him a look that said, "Don't ask."

So, while I'd sat outside my boss's office and actually worked on solving cases, my Lieutenant had been in with Sakura, doing nothing but fucking around. I could hear when he'd laugh at something she'd said and I could hear every time she laughed too. And when my Lieutenant would walk out of his office with a grin on his face, again, I knew it was because of something Sakura said.

I glared at the door, again.

"Boy, what'd you do?" I heard my Lieutenant ask and I glanced up and to my side.

He stood next to my desk, staring down at me with a glower on his face.

"He's a jackass," my partner answered before I could and I quickly hissed, "Shut up, Yamanaka."

Her brows lifted to her hairline. "You're not a jackass? See, earlier you told me you were a jackass."

I groaned and lifted my hands to rub the temples of my head because it hurt like a bitch. And as I did that, Yamanaka proceeded to tell my Lieutenant all the reasons I was a jackass, which—by the time she finished repeating everything that had happened at the diner—made my head pound harder.

Next thing I heard was my Lieutenant say through a low chuckle, "Boy, you ain't _just _a jackass, you're their motherfuckin' king."

I leaned back in my chair and threw out, "Got any advice to help me fix this, or are you just gonna talk shit? All that time you've spent with her in your office so far, you should know her well enough to tell me how to fix it."

He looked taken aback, but it only lasted a second.

His expression turned smug and he tilted his head to the side and asked, "Jealous?" I narrowed my eyes on his face and he laughed. "Honestly, I don't got a clue how you can fix this, Uchiha."

"Just perfect," I muttered.

"I do!" Yamanaka chimed in and I rolled my eyes. She continued. "Next time you go to town—"

"To town?" I interrupted.

That got me a blank stare. "Yeah, _to town_, you know… _downtown_," she lookeddown at her lap, met my eyes, lifted herbrows, and tilted her head to the side as ifsaying, "Boy, you know what town I'm talkingabout."

I shook my head furiously and rushed, "Oh, hell no. I'm not talking about this shit with you...or with anyone."

"Yes, you are, boy, quit playin'. Next time you go _downtown, _you work that shit so good you make her head spin and I guaran_tee _she'll forget what just happened. And if she don't forget, she'll at least be open to the idea of forgiving yo jackass."

_Fuck me._

I stood and muttered, "Thanks for the tip."

My Lieutenant and Yamanaka both laughed their asses off at my expense, but I had to get away.

And there was only one person I wanted to see.

Sakura glanced up from her e-reader the second I opened the door, but as soon as I took a step inside, she glanced back down. I walked to her chair—the same chair she'd been handcuffed to the first night I walked back into her life—and touched the side of her face. To my surprise, she didn't push my hand away.

"Baby, are you hungry?" I asked in a hopeful tone, but she shook her head, still not looking at me. "You haven't eaten all day, Sakura," I continued.

"Doesn't matter, I can't eat," she replied, sounding tired and I knew she wasn't hungry because of the shit I pulled earlier. I closed my eyes and cursed myself.

I never considered myself to be a very emotional dude, but Sakura had the power to make me feel whatever she was feeling. And right now she was hurting. So was I.

"I apologized earlier, and I meant it, Sakura. You have to forgive me."

That got her attention, but all that got me was a glare that said she didn't have to do a fuckin' thing, much less forgive me.

"Fine, you don't have to eat, but will you at least come with me?"

"No thanks, I'll stay here. I don't think we should try eating out in public together ever again." I stiffened. "Besides, I'm reading something really good right now." Her voice sounded so small I knew she was lying.

My anger spiked, but I knew she wouldn't budge, so I bent, gave her a swift, frustrated kiss on the forehead, and said through my sigh, "I'll bring you something back to eat, Freckles."

I really wanted to pick her up and carry her out the damn room over my shoulder, but somehow I knew that'd only piss her off more.

It was ten o'clock at night and I hadn't seen her since dinner.

That was over an hour ago when she'd placed her dishes in the sink and said she was going to take a quick shower.

So I went to find her.

We hadn't arrived home until nearly seven o'clock, because I'd been working to wrap up a few cases in preparation for taking the rest of the week off—to spend with the wife who would barely look at me. On the way home, I'd also stopped off at the grocery store to buy some pork chops, vegetables and a bottle of Riesling for Sakura, in hopes the wine would loosen her up, but that didn't happen.

When we'd pulled up to the house, and Sakura had seen the huge black spot in the driveway where her car had burned last night, her indifferent mood turned into a darkened plague.

The entire bottle of wine hadn't helped her mood.

When I'd asked, "Baby, you still mad at me?"

She'd answered, "I'm not mad, just disappointed."

My already heavy heart sank.

She hadn't given me the silent treatment, but she definitely hadn't been Chatty Kathy, far from it. I'd much prefer her fighting than indifferent, just as I'd prefer her angry than disappointed. Disappointed was much, much worse.

The first place I checked was the bedroom, but she wasn't there. I walked into the bathroom and steam and the scent of coconut welcomed me. I took a deep breath. It was obvious she hadn't been out of the shower long, but she wasn't inside. When I turned, I noticed the clothes she'd been wearing earlier strewn across the end of the bed, as was the towel she used after her shower.

I frowned.

Where the hell was she?

I walked out of the room, down the hall, and froze outside the first guest bedroom. Through the crack in the door I could see her sitting on the edge of the bed next to the night stand and my heart skipped a beat. A dim lamp was turned on and I could also see a glow coming from the small TV.

She was in a small, sexy, white tank and some silky looking hot pink shorts that made her legs look long. Her hair was down and it looked wet. I watched as she picked up a bottle of what looked like lotion, put some in her hand, put the bottle back on the table and applied the stuff in her hand to her face. When she was done, her body slumped and she just sat in place and stared down at her lap.

She looked so damn beautiful, but she also looked extremely unhappy.

My gut tightened.

After a minute or so, she sighed, stood from the bed, turned off the lamp, pulled back the covers and crawled in bed. When she curled up on her side, I thought about going in to ask her why she chose to sleep in the guest bedroom, but there was no point. I already knew the answer.

She didn't even want to be in the same room with me.

And I had a feeling that if I went in there later, I'd feel tears on her pillow, just like I had six years ago.

I'd made the biggest mistakes of my life back then, but I refused to repeat it.

So, I turned and walked away. Then I showered. After, I threw on some boxers-briefs and went downstairs. Grabbing a beer, I moved to the family room, turned on the TV and sat down in my recliner.

**Thank you for reading! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	30. Chapter 30

**Hi! Another update! Let's now put Soushi in action, shall we? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Thirty**

**Sakura Uchiha**

I slowly came awake—then my eyes flew open and my heart thudded hard against my chest when I felt myself being lifted in the air.

"Shhh… Baby, it's me," I heard Sasuke's calming voice say low and soft. I threw my arms around his shoulders and buried my face in his neck. He smelled good and I breathed him in.

Coconut. Like me.

"Why are you carrying me?" I asked in a whisper, just as he turned our bodies to fit through a doorway.

He didn't answer and I lifted my head to look at him just as he deposited me in his bed. I'd completely forgotten I'd fallen asleep in another room.

He climbed in behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. His fingers pressed into my stomach, dragged me closer to his chest and threw a leg over both of mine.

"I won't sleep without you," he rasped. "Never again, Sakura. Be pissed at me, be disappointed in me, be sad, but do all that stuff while you're in my arms. I need to feel what you're going through. You hurt, I hurt."

_Oh my God!_

I let out the breath I'd been holding since the moment he started talking. I still didn't understand how he could be so sweet and so bossy at the same time, but I really, really liked it, even though I was still upset with him.

But that was love, wasn't it? I would not have all these winding emotions if I didn't love him. You couldn't control who you loved and I absolutely, unconditionally loved Sasuke. Always have and always will.

I moved, but Sasuke's arms tightened enough that I couldn't change positions.

"I just want to face you," I told him, and his arms loosened straightaway. I turned in his arms, snuggled up to his side, rested my head on his shoulder, wrapped my arm around his waist and threw my leg over his. The arm he had around my back squeezed tight and I felt warm, and safe, and loved.

"Don't touch her or any other woman again, Sasuke. Only me…or your nieces."

His free hand lifted to my face, he tilted it to his and he bent to kiss me.

"Never again, Baby. I promise and I'm damn sorry," he whispered against my lips and my body relaxed against his.

I wanted to tell him I loved him so much, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words out loud. It was too soon and I wasn't ready for the responsibility of what those words meant.

Not yet.

"Sakura, Baby, let's go. I can't help you get your case dismissed if you show up late to court," Sasuke said at my side and I glared at him.

He smiled and I decided I really wanted to know why men didn't have to do shit to get ready in the mornings. No face lotion, no make-up—for Sasuke, no fixing his hair.

_Lucky bastard._

"I can't very well go in there looking like I've been hit in the face with a wrecking ball, now can I?" I retorted as I finished up my last coat of mascara. I was running late, like always, but I still had like…ten minutes before I was supposed to be inside.

"Freckles, you couldn't look bad even if you tried, but since I have you here, let's go over this one more time: if you see Karin inside, do not go pinkheaded terrorist on her ass, do not go she-devil on her ass, do not go flaming bitch on her ass, and whatever you do, do not claw her eyes out no matter how much you want to, okay?"

I gasped, threw my makeup bag back in my purse, opened my door, jumped out of his truck, turned and glared.

"I might just go do all of those things on _your _ass for calling me those names," I snapped and slammed the door. I walked around to his side where he met me at the back. He threw his arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side.

"I just so happen to love them all, but pinkheaded terrorist is my favorite, Baby," Sasuke advised.

I sighed. "You're a jerk."

"Yeah, but I'm your jerk."

I rolled my eyes and he moved to guide me in the right direction.

Outside the courtroom door, just before Sasuke opened it for me, he bent and kissed me.

"I'm gonna run to the office real quick like we talked about. I have a couple more things to tie up, you'll be in there for at least two hours and there's nothing I can do right now. Remember, all you're doing is postponing your case to give you time to find an attorney. You won't need one, but you need the time…or _I _need the time to work on getting the case dismissed. Did you get all that?"

I rolled my eyes again and smirked. "Yes, Baby, I got it the first five times you told me."

He grinned back, his mouth swooped down on mine and then he muttered, "Call me as soon as you're done so I can come get you. And wait for me inside the building, not outside."

Then he let me go and I felt his eyes watch me walk inside.

Exactly two hours later, I walked out of the court room and headed straight for the restroom. I wished I could have waited, because the thought of using a court house restroom kind of grossed me out, but alas, I'd had way too much coffee and my bladder was about to explode.

I also wanted to get as far away from Karin's bitch-ass as fast as possible.

I hated her so much I knew that if she got near me I'd end up back in jail.

She'd sat in that court room the entire time in her too-tight clothes looking smug, but the worst part about the whole thing was that she sat there looking smug with Suigetsu, Sasuke's old best friend from college.

A nice guy with shit taste in women.

Sasuke actually stopped talking to Suigetsu, because he'd stayed with Karin after our apartment showdown when I'd moved out. But who would have guessed that their relationship would have lasted this long?

Definitely not me and I could guarantee Sasuke neither.

Actually, my bet was that she got pregnant just to keep him. Stupid bitch. I didn't even know if that was what happened, but I'd bet money it was close.

The poor guy had looked depressed too. He looked good, really good, don't get me wrong, but he also looked totally miserable. Most of the time I'd done a good job of keeping my eyes off them, but the few glances I took, almost made me feel sorry for him.

Every time Karin would lean over and say something to Suigetsu, he'd scowl and look offended. Then his eyes would lock with mine and they'd go soft. I wasn't a mind reader, but he hadn't been hard to read. He hated Karin, probably just as much, if not more, than everyone else. I'd have to remember to tell Sasuke, who I needed to call as soon as I got out of the restroom.

But I never got that chance.

It happened as soon as I finished washing my hands and right before I reached for the paper towels. My hips were forced into the sink and the side of my head was slammed into the mirror. I never saw it coming. I vaguely heard a crack through the ringing in my ears, but I didn't know if it was from my head or the mirror.

"You dirty fucking whore," I heard Soushi's voice hiss in my ear just before he spun me around, slammed the back of my head against the mirror and held me awkwardly with his hand at my throat. My back was bowed to accommodate the sink and it hurt so badly I thought it might snap.

"Please," I wheezed, but his grip on my neck constricted. I lifted my hands to bury my nails in his skin, but he didn't even flinch.

"You just _couldn't…fucking…wait," _he ground out through his teeth. "You're a dirty fucking whore. I'd fucking kill you right now if I could, but I plan on getting what I deserve first, and you're the only one who can get it," Soushi finished hissing through his teeth.

He looked terrible. Scary. Nothing like the same Soushi I remembered. He'd clearly gone days without shaving, his hair was nearly an inch longer and he had black bags under his bloodshot eyes. He looked as though he hadn't slept in months.

"I don't have anything of yours," I wheezed as loud as I could.

"Yeah you do, bitch, and if Alfredo wasn't fucking looking for me, I'd have gotten the shit myself and you'd be dead right now."

I didn't know who or what he was talking about, but I knew I didn't have anything that belonged to him. However, I wasn't thinking straight because I was concentrating on breathing.

I turned to stone when I felt his free hand clench around the top of my thigh, close to the V between my legs, and he squeezed so hard, I whimpered in pain.

"If I had more time, I'd fuck your dirty cunt on this floor. But I'll come back for you, and when I do, you're gonna do whatever the fuck I want. Until then, here's a little something to remember me by…" He let my neck go and I gasped for air. He gripped me under the chin and pressed his fingers into my cheeks so excruciatingly hard, it brought tears to my eyes. He pulled me from the wall, his lips collided down on mine, so brutal our teeth clashed, and if they could bleed, I'd be drained.

I shoved and clawed at his chest, but when he didn't budge I started crying. As soon as my first sob broke free, he threw my face away so hard, I crashed into the wall at my side.

"Tell Sasuke I said hi," he spat.

And with that, he turned. I slid down to the floor, heard the door to the restroom open, and then Soushi's snapped, "Move outta my fucking way," which was immediately followed by a gasped, "Oh my God!"

For some reason, it sounded a hell of a lot like Karin's voice.

Then the door shut and I heard silence.

I took a moment, gathered the minimal control I had left, took a deep breath and touched the spot on the side of my head that was throbbing. The first thing I felt was wetness and I froze. I was terrified to look, but I was too concerned with how bad the cut was not to. So I dropped my hand and stared

It was covered in blood. Not a little… a lot. And I didn't do well with blood which was inevitably why I started to feel lightheaded.

I started to see spots and I would have passed out, had the restroom door not banged open. I looked up in time to see Suigetsu run in. Luckily, curiosity over his strange arrival pushed the faintness to the back of my mind where it lingered.

"Sakura, are you alright?" He bent and got in my face.

"I'm okay, I think," I answered hesitantly.

He grabbed me under the arms, helped me to stand and never took his arms from around me.

"You're not fuckin' okay. Your head is bleeding."

At his words, I leaned into him further to prevent from falling flat on my face when I passed out, and that's exactly what two officers saw when they entered the restroom. As they started rushing toward Suigetsu, I stopped them with a panicked, "I know him! He's only helping me."

"What the hell is going on here?" one of them snapped and I winced. I wasn't sure how I needed to handle the situation, but I knew I needed Sasuke. Surely, he and Shiina wouldn't want me telling these officers what was going on with Soushi.

Internal Affairs meant just that, didn't it? Internal?

"She was attacked. I saw a man in a police uniform shove my ex-girlfriend and run out of here. I came in, she was on the floor and she was bleeding," Suigetsu answered before I could finish thinking and I knew I had to snap out of it.

"He's right, but I really need to call my husband."

Wow! I was _not _used to saying the word husband, but I was surprised it rolled off my tongue with such ease.

"Sasuke Uchiha, he's a homicide investigator and he's next door waiting for my call," I finished and I tried to pull away from Suigetsu, but he wouldn't let me go. And for some stupid reason, I touched my head again, felt the wetness and decided it was a good thing he didn't release me. Luckily, I managed to stomach through calling Sasuke who, needless to say, flipped the fuck out.

Three minutes.

That was all the time it took for Sasuke to show up.

And he wasn't happy.

The energy in the room had already been dangerously high, but the moment Sasuke walked through the front door, the energy rose to levels beyond the possibility of calculation. The rage radiating from his body was so immense I was amazed the lights didn't flicker. All the officers in the general vicinity could feel it too, and I knew this by the way they seemed to cower away as Sasuke passed them by.

I had never met a man who could walk into a room and have that kind of effect, and truthfully, it was quite scary, but at the same time, his confident stride calmed me instantly. And even though I was still terrified, there was no way I could miss how sexy as hell it was that my own personal Sergeant was coming to care for me.

_Man, this cut on my head is making me delirious_.

But the only man who didn't seem to feel Sasuke's wrath was Suigetsu who was no longer holding me, but he was still close by my side. And as soon as Sasuke saw that, I saw his shoulders stiffen, but he didn't pause in his steps.

"Jesus, Baby, are you okay?" he asked, ignoring Suigetsu, but instead of pulling me into his arms like I needed, he tilted my head to the side, moved my hand that was holding the bunched up paper towels, and parted my hair to check out my wound. I heard his sharp intake of breath and hissed, "That son of a bitch!"

He put my hand back in place, kept his hand over mine and I tried to reassure him. "I'm okay. It stings, but I feel fine now."

He narrowed his eyes and growled, "Yeah, I'm sure you're okay now, but we're goin' to the fuckin' hospital to have that looked at."

"But I don't want to go to the hospital, Sasuke. I'm fine," I responded, but I could tell by his expression he wasn't swayed.

"Sakura, I love you and I'm really glad you feel okay, but if something happens to you later because I didn't take you to the hospital, I'll be out of my fuckin' mind. I'm already so pissed off at myself for not staying with you." He paused, but not long enough for me to respond. "You have a bad gash on the side of your head; you're bleeding and you're having it checked out."

I opened my mouth to tell him I was really fine and that a hospital wasn't necessary, but he covered my mouth with a finger and murmured, "For me, Baby. Please. Don't fight me on this. I just need to know that you're okay."

My heart melted at hearing the concern in his voice.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

His face didn't gentle, but he did wrap me in the embrace I'd longed for.

He kissed my forehead and mumbled, "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for, Sakura. This is on me. This is my fault. I should have been here and I wasn't. I'm the one who's sorry."

I relaxed against him.

"It's not your fault. You had no idea this would happen—"

"Sakura, he set your goddamn car on fire outside our house. I never should have left you alone."

I sighed and closed my eyes wondering how in the world I'd gotten myself involved with someone as crazy as Soushi.

"Sasuke, you went to work so you could take more time off to be with me. It's not your fault."

"Baby, it is," he growled before changing the subject and asking in the same growl, "And what the fuck is he doing here?" I assumed he was talking about Suigetsu, who he just glared at.

I pulled away from him and answered, "He was with Karin. She's not here, but he found me in the restroom."

"What the fuck," Sasuke hissed, narrowing his eyes.

Suigetsu muttered, "She's my ex-girlfriend." Then he explained, "Karin tricked me into coming here. I thought this had to do with my daughter, not some fucked up shit that had to do with Sakura. When court was over, Karin did say she needed to discuss custody of our daughter—which I have—so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. She went to the restroom, I waited outside, and that's when I saw a man shove past her. Karin looked terrified and said she saw someone was on the floor inside, so I checked it out and found Sakura."

"Wait. You have a daughter? With Karin?" I asked in disgust, because I couldn't believe I'd guessed right, not because he had daughter. Though, I couldn't really picture Suigetsu as a father and to think he had custody of his daughter was insane. I only saw him a couple of times years ago, because Sasuke had stopped talking to him pretty much as soon as we'd hooked up. But I had heard stories. And they were all bad. And Suigetsu still looked very much like a bad boy, with his perfectly messy, silver hair, shark-like eyes, square, scruffy jaw, six-footish frame, large build and the very visible tattoo that peeked out from the collar of his shirt on his neck and appeared to end at his wrist.

_Wowza._

Suigetsu's eyes veered from Sasuke's, hit mine and he answered in annoyance, "Yeah, I have a daughter. Her name is Tomo and she's five. Best thing that ever happened to me. Karin, not so much, but she's not in the picture and hasn't been since Tomo's birth."

Sasuke stiffened at his brash tone, but it was my fault.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so shocked. I could just tell in the courtroom that you didn't want to be there and I made an assumption and…well, you just confirmed it, that's all. And Tomo is a beautiful name. I bet she's a beautiful little girl."

His face changed in a flash and went from bad-boy scowl to bad-boy adoration. He smiled back at me and responded with a, "Thank you, she's gorgeous." Then he looked back at Sasuke. "If you need help with Sakura's case, let me know. Karin's a pill-popping junkie." I stopped breathing. "Has been for a long time, which is why she doesn't get to see her daughter… not that she's ever wanted to unless it's to fuck with my head. I've tried to help her, because she's Tomo's mom, but I couldn't force her to do anything she didn't want to do. Gave up a long time ago."

I glanced at Sasuke just as he nodded and said, "Thanks for the offer."

Suigetsu said nothing back, but he nodded, glanced at me, smiled in goodbye, and turned.

"Suigetsu," Sasuke called, stopping him in his tracks and he turned. Sasuke continued, "It was really good to see you. I got two nieces. Maybe you could bring your daughter to the house the next time they come over."

That was so sweet.

Suigetsu gave Sasuke a chin lift and said, "Good to see you too. And let me know when. Tomo loves to play."

He turned back around and headed out the door just as Investigator Shiina walked in. I cringed, knowing that I was about to suffer through his questioning, or so I'd thought.

"I'm taking her to the hospital," Sasuke growled. "You want to talk to her, you do it there."

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	31. Chapter 31

**Hi! Sorry for the day skip, had to go somewhere... Anyway here's another chapter for you guys! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Thirty-One**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Eleven o'clock at night and I was fuckin' wiped. I knew Sakura was too.

"I have a bald spot," Sakura complained for the thousandth time and I closed my eyes and groaned against her neck. I gave her waist a squeeze and mumbled, "Your hair is so thick, no one will ever notice, Baby."

I felt bad for her, I really did, but having had only a nickel sized section of hair shaved off, because the doctors had to give her six stitches to close her wound, was nothing compared to how much worse things that could have been. She could have had a cracked skull; she didn't. She could have had a concussion; she didn't. She could have been raped; she hadn't been. She could have been beaten; she hadn't been.

But any of those things could have happened and now, I was done waiting for the right people to do the right thing.

As in I was _fuckin' done_.

I was out of my mind with stress and rage, and I wasn't taking any more chances where Sakura's safety was concerned.

Good thing for me, bad thing for Soushi. In his quest to fuck with my wife, Soushi had also fucked himself over.

He'd let the name Alfredo slip and that was something he never, ever should have done.

I felt Sakura's chest rise and fall as she inhaled and exhaled in deeps pulls. Then she spoke, "I guess, but I'll know it's there, and every time I feel it, I'll think about Soushi and what he did today…and yesterday…my apartment…my poor car."

I gave her another squeeze. "Don't worry, Baby. We're going away tomorrow and I have a feeling Soushi will be taken care of by the time we come home."

I neglected to mention that Soushi _would _be taken care of.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Sakura asked curiously and this was another subject I didn't want to discuss, especially right now. I'd wanted it to be a surprise, but I knew that after everything that happened yesterday morning, I'd be dead before Soushi if I didn't.

"We're gonna visit Ann and her husband, Tou, in Centerville." I felt her body tense, but I continued fast. "They'll only be there tomorrow, because they leave on their honeymoon the next morning. We'll stay there while they're away. It's a beautiful place, lots of property and horses. We can relax and spend time together without stressing about what's going on here. It'll be a mini-vacation."

She waited a minute before she asked, "Are you going to tell me what you had with her?"

I rolled my eyes even though I knew she couldn't see it. "Sakura, I told you. Ann is just a friend. A real friend. I've never touched her in any way. She's a beautiful woman and she's nice, and when I first met her through Rina, I probably would have fucked her." Sakura's body tensed more and my arms constricted.

"But that was two years ago, Sakura, and nothing happened or came close to happening. And even if it had, it wouldn't have meant anything. We grew close…as friends, nothing more."

"You would have had sex with her?" Sakura asked in a whisper and I noted that that was the only thing she took away from what I'd said.

"Probably, Sakura. I won't ever lie to you. And Ann is probably the only woman I would have taken seriously, but I swear to God, Baby, she never would have meant half as much to me as you. Understand?"

She said nothing for so long I thought she might have fallen asleep. I kissed the crease between her neck and shoulder, and surprisingly, she sighed, but still said nothing. She was processing what I said and I needed to give her that.

I glanced at the alarm on the wall to make sure it was set, then I found her hand with mine, entangled our fingers and felt reassured when she squeezed mine back.

She fell asleep in that position, which made it extremely hard for me an hour later when I tried to slide out of bed without waking her up.

One phone call later and I had all the information I needed, though I never would have imagined needing anything from this person, but as the saying goes: it's a small world.

I put the phone to my ear.

"Bueno," I heard a deep, gravelly voice answer in my ear and I stiffened at the recognizable sound. I'd seen him recently—as in a week ago—but he'd left before I had a chance to talk to him, and the last time we did speak, was just before he quit HPD and disappeared into Mexico.

Three years ago.

I knew who he was now, the entirety of the HPD knew who he was now, but nobody talked about it. Ever. He wasn't just dangerous, he was powerful. And it was another reason Internal Affairs was keeping the situation with Soushi under wraps.

"It's Sasuke," I growled low, knowing that if he was as good as I thought…he'd know exactly who I was and had more than likely already been expecting my call.

"Ahhh…and what can I do for you, cop?" the deep, heavily accented voice asked, and he sounded pleased. My smile was vicious. He knew the answer to that question, but I also knew he wanted to hear a cop ask for help. He hated cops and I almost couldn't blame him, but I wasn't asking for help. I was calling in a favor.

"I think you already know the answer to that question," I replied, leaned my hips against the kitchen island and glanced at the stairway again. The last thing I wanted was for Sakura to sneak up on me and overhear this conversation.

"Sí. I know what you want, and I want the same."

"Yes, but you're not in a hurry to finish the job or else you would have done so already, and I can't wait any longer."

Silence, a beat, and then he laughed and asked, "Remind me again why I should talk to you, cop?"

I gripped the phone tight to my ear. He didn't know, but I was about to enlighten him. "Three years ago and a man named Ronald, ring a bell?"

Silence.

I continued, "You were charged with police brutality. You quit the force, one month later Ronald turned up dead and I got his case. Let's just say the job on Ronald was a sloppy one, even for a first-timer. Ever wonder why you weren't brought in as a suspect and charged?"

All that got me was more silence, but this time, it was eerie.

"You saw the tape," he stated, and I knew he already knew the answer, but I decided to oblige.

"Yes, I saw the tape. We didn't know each other all that well, but after seeing that shit, I figured you'd already been through hell and didn't need any more trouble."

Again, more silence. This time so long I thought he might have hung up.

But just before I pulled the phone away from my ear, he vowed, "I'll take care of it. Wait for my call."

The phone disconnected and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I put it down and went back to my woman.

"Sasuke, are you sure about this? Staying in someone's house when they're not even going to be there most of the time?" Sakura asked at the halfway point to Centerville and I glanced at her quickly, before looking back at the road.

"I'm sure. It'll be a nice, short vacation, Freckles. Besides, it'll give us plenty of free time to work on getting you pregnant without any interruptions."

I really fuckin' liked that idea and wished we could start right now.

"Hmmm…and Ann? She's just okay with you bringing me to stay at her house? I'm not so sure I'd be okay with another woman staying in my house, as I'm sure you know," she said and for some reason she sounded a lot closer.

I glanced to the side again and saw her lift the center console and scoot across the seat.

"Yes, I'm sure. Baby, what are you doing?"

She didn't say anything, but I jumped when her hand landed between my legs and her mouth hit my neck. She nipped me there.

"Baby," I groaned as she worked at my zipper until I was free from my boxers and in her hand, so fast I nearly swerved off the highway. I was already rock hard and I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.

I had to concentrate hard on not causing an accident.

"Jesus," I hissed at the first pump of her small fist and then I glanced to the side and watched as an eighteen-wheeler drove by. It was a good thing the windows were tinted because she took me in her hot, wet mouth a second later.

I took one hand off the wheel and tangled my fingers in her hair. Her pulls and strokes were greedy, enjoying it just as much as me. She started out with long, slow strokes, using only her mouth and tongue. She gradually picked up the pace until her head was bobbing beneath my hand and I hissed, "Fuck that feels good."

Then she slowed back down and I groaned and checked my review mirror to make sure no vehicles were too close.

She kept with that rhythm, slow and steady, fast and deep, before eventually adding her hand. I touched my hand to her cheek to feel them hollow as she sucked me and, in no time at all, I was ready to finish.

"Sakura, I'm gonna come in your mouth if you don't stop," I warned through my groan, even though I wanted to finish that way.

The little minx didn't stop. My words only seemed to spur her on and next thing I knew, I was grunting and groaning her name.

When I was finished, she pulled back and I saw spots.

"I can't believe you just did that," I said, out of breath, and Sakura grinned.

"Sakura, I could've gotten us into an accident. Swear to God, Baby, I'm pretty sure I blacked out."

She ignored me to lean in and kiss my neck. I twisted, she pulled back and my lips found hers for a quick, wet kiss.

My eyes went back to the road, but not before I caught her sassy grin.

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" I asked playfully, completely unable to hide my utter satisfaction.

I could almost hear her smirk when she replied, "I don't know…I'm about to meet someone you _might _have had sex with and _might _have taken seriously, but you never got the chance to, and I just want to make sure you don't forget who _you _belong to."

She threw my words back at me, and whether she was being a smart ass or not, I liked it.

I felt my already relaxed body, liquefy and I reached for her hand. "Baby, I've always belonged to you. Always will."

I glanced at her to see her eyes shining with affection, and just to lighten things up, I added, "But feel free to remind me who I belong to with that mouth of yours whenever your little heart desires."

"Oh my God," she breathed, and I knew it was in exasperation because a second later, she laughed when I said, "But tonight, I get to remind you who you belong to," I finished.

Ann and Tou were already outside sitting on the porch when we pulled up to the two-story, red brick ranch house an hour later.

"Really?" Sakura asked in an outraged near shout as I threw the truck in park and my eyes hit her face. "Do they all look so goddamn beautiful?" I frowned and followed her eyes, which I found were locked on Ann who was walking down the front steps.

Yes, Ann was beautiful, but nothing compared to Sakura. Ann was tall where Sakura was petite, she was skinny where Sakura was thick and she was all chocolate hair and chocolate eyes where Sakura was colorful. They both had unique personalities, but where Ann only had a smart mouth, Sakura wasn't afraid to act on her words.

"Freckles—" was the only thing I got to say, before she threw me a glare that had me snapping my mouth closed.

"Oh, shut up, Sasuke," she snapped, just before she twisted and jumped out of the truck.

_Shit!_

I hurried and jumped out after her because I was a little worried about her reaction to Ann now, where I hadn't been before. I walked around the front of the truck, threw an arm around Sakura's shoulders, crushed her body to my chest and whispered in her ear, "I'm all yours, Baby."

Sakura pulled back slightly to narrow her eyes on my face, so I bent and kissed her frown away. Luckily, just before Ann and Tou made it to us.

"Hey there," Ann called out and Sakura and I both turned. Ann and Tou were in front of us and they both only had eyes for Sakura. I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't blame them. Sakura was fuckin' hot. Too bad she didn't realize it. She was wearing loose cotton khaki shorts, a rust colored tank top, with a brown belt and brown wedged flip flops.

"Stare much?" I asked, and both sets of eyes hit mine only a second before going back to Sakura. I sighed and decided to get introductions out of the way so we could get on with our day. "Sakura, this is Ann, and that's her asshole husband, Tou."

They both narrowed their eyes on me again and Ann snapped, "Shut up, Sasuke!"

I groaned. Telling me to shut up seemed to be a popular order of the day.

"Ann, Tou, this is Sakura…my wife."

And Sakura being Sakura, she said sugary sweet with a smile on her face, "Hi, it's really nice to meet you," even though I knew she didn't like Ann right off the bat because of what I'd told her last night. I knew it'd take time for Sakura to come around, but I didn't like the fact that she was jealous at all, which is exactly why I muttered, "You're my heart, Baby."

I vaguely heard Ann's gasp, but I wasn't worried about her; I had someone much more important to worry about.

Sakura looked up and she breathed, "What?"

"You heard me." I let my eyes answer for me and a moment later, I felt her body melt and I watched her eyes soften.

Finally, someone—probably Tou—cleared their throat and Ann interrupted with an exhaled, "Oh, thank God!"

Sakura and I both turned her way, and I asked, "Oh, thank God what?"

"I'm just happy for you, that's what," Ann replied before her eyes went back to Sakura. "So you're the pinkhead wife Rina has been talking about like crazy, huh?"

Sakura shrugged before replying like a smart ass at my expense, "Apparently, unless he's married to another pinkhead—which wouldn't surprise me—but he does refuse to divorce _me_, so I guess I'm at least one of them."

Ann beamed at Sakura.

Tou laughed and said, "Well, I like her already."

I glared at him, but he, of course, paid me no attention. "It's nice to meet you, Sakura. Ann has talked about you every damn day since Sasuke raced out of here on our wedding night. So, it's nice to finally see you in person."

Sakura smiled in return and Ann ordered Tou to "Shut up" which clearly filled me with joy to know there was a good possibility he'd beat out my number of shut-ups for the day.

"Ignore them, come on," Ann continued talking to Sakura. "I'll show you around the house and show you your room so you can start making yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa…and all that stuff. Sasuke and Tou can bring your stuff in."

Sakura looked ready to protest, but Ann grabbed her hand and tugged her off toward the house before she could open her mouth. I watched her perfectly rounded ass go until she was up the steps, inside the house, and the screen door swung shut behind her.

I really wished me and that ass already had the house to ourselves.

"You make that call?" Tou asked, and his question served to bring me back down to reality.

I glanced at him, reached into the bed of the truck and answered, "Yeah. Done deal."

He reached into the bed of the truck, grabbed another bag and muttered, "Good."

"I'd thank you for getting me that information, but I still don't like you," I said with only a hint of truth, and I watched as he threw me a knowing smirk.

"You're welcome, and the feeling's mutual, asshole," he countered and I met his smirk with one of my own.

"Oh, now I'm the asshole?"

"Yep. See, I _was _the asshole that stayed away from Ann for two years, but you've got me beat by four. You've definitely won the title."

I grinned, shook my head and replied, "I'm sure Sakura would agree with you."

I sat on the couch, staring at my bottle of Shiner Ruby Red Bird, my eyes fixed on the label as my thumb flicked at the corner and I felt good...no, great. It'd been a great fuckin' day. The best day so far since Sakura came back into my life.

It was a little rough in the beginning, but it took no time at all for Sakura to get comfortable with Ann, largely due to the fact that Ann never gave Sakura an opportunity to feel anything other than comfortable. I had a feeling Ann knew that I'd told Sakura the truth about our nonexistent, yet flirtatious relationship in the past, which would explain why Ann had gone out of her way to make Sakura feel at ease.

Hell, Ann was the pregnant one, but she'd insisted on waiting on Sakura hand and foot, bringing her drinks, always trying to feed her and constantly asking her if she was okay.

After we'd settled into the guest bedroom and toured the house, Ann and Tou took us for a ride around their massive property in—get this—a pink camouflage, Bad Boy Buggy with a sticker that replaced the word Boy with Girl. According to Tou, Ann saw it, had to have, so he gave her whatever she wanted.

But, also according to Tou, he always drove Ann around in it.

_Sucker._

I'd been worried my little pinkheaded city girl wouldn't appreciate the outdoors, but to my surprise and utter delight, Sakura had taken in all the scenery in awe, while I'd done nothing but watch her in the same respect.

And my absolute favorite expression—the one I would never forget for as long as I lived, and the one I would do everything in my power to put on her face as often as humanly possible—was when she saw the goats...

_"Oh my God! They're so cute!" she said excitedly like a little girl, in a voice nearly three octaves higher than usual. I was waiting for her to jump up and down and clap her hands._

_Her excitement brought a smile to my face as I watched her cuddle them and love on them._

_"A kid that helps me in the stable part time is in the Future Farmers of America Organization and I let him raise them here," Tou said, and Sakura's bright, eager eyes flew to his face._

_And I didn't like that at all._

_"Freckles, they're only goats and they kinda stink."_

_Ann muttered, "I love how you call her 'Freckles'."_

_But Sakura wasn't listening because she gasped, and her now outraged eyes met mine. "They do not! And even if they did, I still want one...or three...no four, because they have to be even in number..." And just as she said that, she moved to stand, one bit the end of her shorts, she tripped, rammed her shoulder into my gut, I let out a winded whoosh, and she threw her head back and laughed._

_Happiness seeped out of every fiber of her being and I made the instant decision to buy her some fuckin' goats when we got home, even though I had no idea what they were good for._

"She's great," Ann said, cutting into my thoughts of Sakura and goats, and I turned just as she plopped down in the chair next to the couch.

"What?"

"I said she's great, Sasuke. I really like her. I more than like her actually, I think she's perfect for you. I sort of feel like a proud momma or something." Her voice was filled with sincerity, and when she finished, she glanced down the hall and I followed her eyes to the bathroom door. The door Sakura had walked through thirty minutes ago to take a shower.

I took another pull from my beer bottle and swallowed before responding, "Yeah, she's perfect." But Sakura wasn't just perfect. She was fuckin' everything to me, and somehow, having her with me again made me feel whole, like I'd only been half a man without her.

"You love her," Ann stated, probably reading my expression.

My eyes locked with hers and I didn't miss a beat, "I love her, but it's more than that. My obsession with her now is even more than it was before...and before you ask, I'm not stalker obsessed, I just don't know any other way to describe how I feel. She belongs to me."

Ann's eyebrows rose to her hairline and she grinned, but it wasn't her voice I heard next, it was Tou's. "She belongs to you?"

I twisted, watched him sit on the couch opposite me and I nodded. "Absolutely. She's mine."

Ann pursed her lips and Tou grinned. Ann opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but it was Sakura's voice that cut her off.

"Baby, are you coming to bed to show me who I belong to, or are you just going to sit out here and talk about it? I seem to remember a little promise you made me earlier."

I froze.

Both Ann and Tou's eyes widened in surprise, and for the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to blush.

Bitches be crazy, but this one was clearly my kind of crazy.

_Thank God, I married her ass._

And married to that sweet ass standing in the hallway wearing short pajama shorts I was indeed.

I stood in a hurry, handed my beer bottle to Tou and asked, "Dude, toss that for me, yeah?" He took it while shaking his head and grinning like a mad man.

I stalked toward Sakura and grabbed her hand ready to drag her off to our room, but she stopped me with a tug. I frowned down at her.

"It was really nice meeting both of you and thank you for letting us stay here while you're away on your honeymoon."

"It was nice meeting you too, Sakura. You have no idea how happy I am for you both. Sasuke's been…lonely," Ann said through a smile. "And come visit any time you want. We'll also be down plenty to visit you guys, and Rina and the girls, so we might need a place to stay, too."

Sakura smiled back. "Absolutely...I mean, if it's okay with Sasuke."

I sighed and rubbed a hand over my head and down my face. "Baby, how many times do we have to go over this? It's your fuckin' house."

"Oh yeah...well, anytime then. And congratulations on your pregnancy," Sakura continued.

Would she stop babbling? I needed her in bed. "Baby, you're killing me," I groaned.

"Sakura, I can't tell you how glad I am that I got to meet the woman who can make Sasuke whine like a little girl, but you better go with him before he starts pouting. That is really not an image I'd like to have," Tou joked…at least he had better been joking.

"Shut up, Tou!" Ann said through a laugh and I smirked at Tou who frowned.

I tugged on Sakura's hand and practically dragged her off down the hall while she finished on a half shout, "Have a safe trip!"

"Faster, Sasuke," Sakura begged through a moan and my fingers pressed deeper into the creamy thighs wrapped around my face.

"Quiet, Baby," I demanded harsher than I should have because I was frustrated. I wanted her to come and I wanted her to come hard, but I also didn't want the entire ranch to hear. She groaned in frustration at her inability to be louder and I smiled against her sensitive flesh before nipping it with my teeth.

"Oh my God," she breathed in pleasure, which meant I needed to get back to work.

I played with her, teased her with my tongue, tortured her with my fingers and loved her with my mouth until she grabbed the pillow at her side, bit down on the edge and cried out in sheer ecstasy. I held her through every quake and reveled in the feel of her body at my mercy. Every moan was muffled and when they slowed down, I came to a stop.

And then she got quiet.

And then I was flipping her over, bringing her to her knees, spreading her legs, covering her back with my chest and filling her to full, so fast the pillow had to catch her whimpers again. But this time, her face was shoved in it and I didn't like that.

I tangled my fingers in her hair, she twisted her neck, arched her back and my mouth found hers.

I didn't even bother with slow, just went straight to full speed and pounded inside her...deep...as deep as her body would let me go. I untangled my hand from her hair, wrapped it around her waist and found her sweet spot….exactly why her shorter size fit me perfectly.

She moaned softly.

"You feel so fuckin' good, Baby," I said through my groan and the little minx arched her back more, taking me deeper…all the fuckin' way.

"Sasuke…"

"Shit," I hissed.

I worked my hips harder, because I needed more, and a sheen of sweat covered my back. When her insides clenched around mine, I couldn't hold back any longer.

I came…hard. She came with me and shoved her face back in the pillow. With nowhere else to go, my mouth latched onto her shoulder—not hard enough to hurt—just enough to muffle my grunts.

She fell, stomach to the bed and I fell to my side and threw my arm over her waist while we both struggled to catch our breath.

"Surely that got you pregnant," I breathed, winded and hoped my words rang true.

Sakura chuckled and entangled her fingers with mine.

"We'll see."

For the next two days, we spent our nights and our days the exact same way. Talking, fighting, laughing, playing, loving, joking, sexing…and more sexing…

Until I got the call.

"Sasuke," Sakura said to get my attention.

I looked up from my lunch, but she said nothing.

"Freckles," I countered and grinned when I saw her roll her eyes.

"Can we go look at cars when we get back? I know I won't get my check from the insurance company for another couple of weeks, but I just want to look."

I sat back in my chair, crossed my arms over my chest and studied her thoroughly. "And what kind of cars do you want to look at?"

She exhaled. "I know what you're thinking, but I'm not an idiot and I definitely don't waste money. If I get pregnant sooner rather than later, I know I can't very well fit a car seat into a '68 Camaro comfortably."

She'd probably try her damned best if she still had that damn car, but I still wasn't comforted by her words. "What do you want?"

"Well, I was thinking that a car seat would fit so much easier into a '70 Hemi Cuda… especially if it's a convertible."

I stiffened.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked in a dangerous whisper.

Sakura threw her head back and laughed at the ceiling. "Yes, I'm kidding. Jeez! You're such a sucker!"

I narrowed my eyes on her face, but it didn't last long, because her good mood was bringing out my own.

She went on, "Maybe I'll get a Tahoe or a big, jacked-up truck like yours."

"Baby, you're too small to drive a big, jacked-up truck," I joked.

"Sasuke, the only reason you think I'm small is because you're a giant," she retorted and lifted her eyebrows in expectation of a retort.

I opened my mouth to reply with my comeback, but my cell phone rang and prevented me from doing so.

"Uchiha," I answered on the second ring, even though I wasn't using my work cell phone.

A second later, I heard a heavily accented voice say, "It's done," and then the line went dead.

**So... We are down to TWO chapters... Thank you for reading, don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	32. Chapter 32

**Hi! A short something of Soushi's POV and something else :) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents.**

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

**Soushi Makajima**

That bitch was gonna die.

Today.

_That fucking whore!_

It was my fault for getting her into this shit. I knew that. And because of that, I decided she wasn't gonna suffer. I'd make sure she died fast, but she _was _gonna die. Of course, not before I got my money. I needed that money to get out of the country and that bitch owed me. It was the least she could do for fucking me around and wasting my time.

But Sasuke…he would die a slow and painful death for touching what was mine.

I glanced at the two henchmen again—both of whom were still in deep discussion with each other—before glancing around at my surroundings. I had to get out of here.

I knew they were planning to torture me more and I also knew that the boss man wanted me dead…

But they fucked up.

And boss man wasn't here.

I couldn't understand everything the men were saying, because it was all in Spanish, but I'd worked as a narcotics officer, and for the boss man, long enough to understand what I needed to know.

And I knew for a fact that boss man wasn't here. Sounded like he might not be here for another couple of hours.

Which was perfect, because it gave me time.

Plenty of time.

And I had that feeling in my gut…that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach that lets you know things are finally gonna go your way. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you get an idea in your head and you just _know, _with absolute certainty, it's gonna work out like you planned.

_That motherfucking feeling felt great._

But the nausea from being in pain was a bitch. I suppose crushing my left hand in an effort to force me to give the location of the money should have worked, but all that did was ensure my hands would be free from their bindings in only a few more maneuvers of my wrists—no matter how excruciating the pain. I'd cut them off, before I went out without a fight.

Twenty seconds later, I was free.

Sixty seconds later, I was a murderer.

**Sakura Uchiha**

Home.

That's what Sasuke had called it when we'd returned from Ann and Tou's place near dusk.

Home.

It had a nice ring to it.

And somehow, the house even felt like a home to me now.

But I didn't want to be home.

I wanted to go back to that ranch and spend more uninterrupted time with Sasuke, I wanted to pet the horses, feed the goats, do all kinds of lazy things, and just relax.

But no.

Sasuke had gotten a call from the office and we'd had to come back.

Home.

"Baby, I'm gonna run the bags upstairs real quick," Sasuke called out and I gave him a shouted, "Okay!"

I walked into the kitchen, pulled a glass from the cabinet, filled it with ice water, and took a long deep gulp. That two hour car ride had me parched. I wondered if Sasuke was parched too.

Just as I put the glass down, I felt Sasuke's heat hit my back and his lips on my neck.

"That was fast," I said softly, wondering if he'd just thrown our bags on the bedroom floor to hurry back to me. The thought was actually calming.

"My heart, Freckles," he muttered, lips against my skin and that wasn't anything close to the response I'd expected, but that didn't mean that I didn't enjoy all the weight his words held.

I turned in his arms.

I reached up to brush my thumb across his jaw, and without thinking, I told him the truth, "You're my heart too, Sasuke."

His eyes told me my words meant the world to him. He meant the world to me too.

"Freckles, I know this is going fast for you, but I swear to God, this past week—minus the bad—has been the best week I've had in six years, and I want to keep having weeks just like this with you. I want you to have the proper wedding you deserve."

And at the word wedding, his hand covered mine on his jaw. He pulled my hand down, and next thing I knew, he was sliding something onto my finger.

"Sasuke," I whispered like a prayer.

I looked down and tears stung my eyes at the sight of my old, plain, white gold wedding ring.

"We'll get new ones, but for now, these'll do." He kissed the ring on my finger and I noticed the ring on his own hand. His old ring. That's when my sob broke free and Sasuke hugged me. "Never took it off, Baby. Over a year and I never took it off."

I was overwhelmed with happiness, sadness, regret and relief, and when he pulled back, I hated losing his warmth.

His fingers grazed my stomach and it tightened against his touch. "I really hope your body is working its magic already, Baby, because I want you pregnant. I long for it. I want to be here for you and I want to experience it all with you, Sakura."

"I want that too," I breathed.

He got quiet as he towered over me, gazing into my eyes, letting me see every bit of truth in them.

"I love you," Sasuke rumbled so low and deep I could feel it.

"I love you, Sasuke. So much," I whispered back as I gazed up into his eyes and prayed that he could see the same love in my eyes that I saw in his.

And then he smiled tenderly and touched my bottom lip with his thumb, just before he touched his lips to mine for a quick, deep kiss.

He pulled away, smiled down at me…

My entire body jerked.

The blast echoed throughout the room, so loud it was deafening to my ears. I couldn't even hear myself screaming, "Noooooooo," when my back slammed into the counter as all of Sasuke's weight landed on me.

My arms automatically wrapped around his back to hold him up and I cried, "Sasuke! No! Please!"

I heard him grunt in my ear, but he said nothing. "Sasuke, please answer me!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Soushi standing in the doorway and I was shaking, earth-rocking quakes, as I screamed, "What did you do?"

Sasuke slumped further and my hand hit a wet spot on his back. I couldn't bring myself to look down, but I sobbed as my entire world shattered to pieces, like my heart had been made of glass.

"Fuck, it burns," Sasuke hissed in my ear.

"Oh God, Baby, please get up. Please!" I begged through my sobs. He groaned and to my complete and utter astonishment, he lifted and stood tall. I gaped at him through my tears. His breathing was ragged and I raised my hands to touch his chest just to confirm he was still breathing before me. It wasn't until he turned that I saw blood seeping through the back of his shirt.

"Oh God," I whispered.

I moved to run across the kitchen to the phone, not caring for a second about Soushi until he shouted, "Don't fucking move, Sakura!"

I spun around and screamed through my tears, "Fuck you!"

He raised his gun in Sasuke's direction and I froze in fear.

"Sakura, stop," Sasuke ordered low, rough and pained. I looked at him through my tears. He was holding his left arm, and I wondered why since that wasn't where he was shot.

"You shot him in the back," I hissed at Soushi before roaring, "_You shot him in the_ _fucking back, you piece of shit coward_!"

The barrel of his gun landed on my face and I narrowed my eyes as I held his soulless ones.

"Baby, stop," Sasuke said giving me a dangerously low command, and I listened, but only because I was terrified Soushi would shoot him again.

_Oh God. He needs a hospital._

"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded to know and his words were clipped, but his voice was gravelly, hoarse and filled with pain.

A nasty smile grew on Soushi's face. He didn't answer with words. Instead, he trained his gun on Sasuke and walked toward him. He got in Sasuke's face, put the gun to his cheek and barked, "Move," so loud that I jumped.

Uncontrollable tears rained down my face, but they weren't in sadness, they were in helplessness. My body shook as I watched in horror while Soushi walked to a chair, wrenched Sasuke's left arm behind his back and heard Sasuke cursing in agony, "Motherfucker!"

I saw his eyes squeeze shut from the pain and I screamed, "Soushi, stop!"

Soushi moved to swing the gun in my direction, and that was all the time Sasuke needed. He swung around, so fast I never saw it coming. He slammed his head into Soushi's nose and blood gushed. He body slammed Soushi to the floor and shouted out in pain when his left side hit the floor.

Soushi's gun hit the floor, but not before a shot was fired beside my head.

I dropped to my knees as they fought, and I could see Soushi was having trouble using his left hand, but one wrong move and Soushi was digging his finger into the wound in Sasuke's back.

In no time at all, Soushi's gun was back in his hand, and back in Sasuke's face, which was the only way Soushi was able to handcuff Sasuke to the chair on the floor.

Soushi was breathing hard and bleeding nastily from his nose. Sasuke looked sick and pale.

"Kill me. If that's why you're here, just kill me. Leave him alone," I begged in a whisper.

He faced me and sneered, "Don't worry, bitch, you're good as dead, but not until I get what I need. But if you want him to live, you'll do whatever the fuck I say."

"Anything," I responded without hesitation.

Sasuke barked, "Don't do a fuckin' thing, Sakura."

But I had to. I couldn't let him die.

"I'll do whatever you want as long as I can call him an ambulance."

"Then you better hurry the fuck up," Soushi snapped. "I'll give you thirty minutes to get what I need. I'm pretty sure I didn't hit anything vital, but if you don't make it back by then, Sasuke's dead either way. And bitch, you call the police, you call anybody, I'll kill him before I kill myself."

I looked in Sasuke's devastated eyes and read in them what he couldn't say out loud. They were telling me that if I left this house, I better not come back. That I better call for help and live my life without him. But he was out of his ever-loving mind if he thought for a second I'd live without him again and I let my eyes tell him just that. If I had to play this out Romeo and Juliet style, so fuckin' be it.

"Sakura," Sasuke growled in warning, but all that did was confirm that he understood me.

And sixty seconds later, I had all the information I needed and I grabbed Sasuke's keys off the counter.

"Sakura, don't do this," Sasuke pleaded roughly.

I stared into his eyes as he sat uncomfortably on the floor and I said, "I love you."

His eyes closed at the determination in my voice and on my face. He didn't want me to do this, I knew that, but I didn't have a choice.

My eyes moved to narrow on Soushi's disgusting face and I threatened, "Not sure if you remember, because you're pretty fucked in the head, but I have a fantastic memory. A fan-fucking-tastic memory, and I'll get you the account number you need, but the only way you're going to get it is when the numbers come out of my mouth. No paper, I'm not writing it down. You touch another motherfucking hair on his head, and you'll have to kill me before I give you shit."

I couldn't help but take pleasure in watching Soushi's breathing accelerate as every muscle in his face twitched.

_Fuck him._

It took fifteen minutes to get to my apartment on a normal day, but obviously today was far from normal. I made it in seven-point-five minutes and as long as the account number Soushi wanted was exactly where he'd said it was, I'd have just enough time to make it back to either save Sasuke, or die with him…

Well, that had been the plan, and like most of my plans, it didn't go quite like I'd expected.

The moment I walked into my darkened apartment, something or someone slammed into my back, shoved me against the wall and—surprise, surprise—another gun was pointed in my face.

Now, I was pissed off, and a little crazed. I didn't have time for this shit.

"Get the _fuck _off me," I hissed at whoever's hand was shoved in my back.

But they ignored me and stayed put. I tried to twist my head around, but I couldn't, and a nanosecond later, I heard a muttered, "Ay dios mio."

I didn't know what it meant, but the guy sounded annoyed.

"Don't move," the voice ordered again and I noted it was heavily accented.

Like I'd said earlier, had this been a normal day, I wouldn't have done a lot of things, but it wasn't normal, which is exactly why I said, "Look, I really don't have time for this shit."

But of course he ignored me.

He dropped the gun, but didn't drop his hand from my back and next thing I heard was him talking, and it sounded like he was on the phone. All his words were in Spanish and I growled because I couldn't understand him, and I was frustrated as hell. My tears threatened to spill, but I refused to let myself fall apart when my entire world was on the line.

I heard him finish the call and suddenly I was free. I spun around, but it was dim, and the only light came from the open door—which was slammed shut a moment later by the man holding me hostage. And then a lamp was turned on.

I was surprised the light bulb had survived the devastation.

"Tres minutos," he said, and any person living in the state of Texas would know he'd said, "Three minutes", but why he'd said it, was another question.

"Three minutes for what? I don't have one minute to spare let alone _three_," I snapped, but all he did was lift his gun, point it at my face and I bit my tongue.

I kept it that way for three of the longest minutes of my life—I'd counted. Counting to sixty, three times over, sucked when you were in a hurry.

When the front door opened, I sucked in a sharp breath at what…or who I saw.

I could see perfectly and at what I saw, I decided there was no way this dude was a bad guy. He just couldn't be. He was way too good looking to be a bad guy.

However, he looked killing mad and I took a step back as he stalked me like a tiger until his eyes held me in their death grip. All I could see were his eyes, bright, piercing, hazel eyes that stared into mine and demanded I tell him everything he wanted to know.

"Please let me go. I have to hurry," I breathed.

"You know where my money is, Sirenita. And you know where Soushi is," hazel eyes stated without a hint of doubt and I stiffened when realization set in. Then I panicked.

This was Alfredo, the drug lord that Soushi owed money to.

_Oh my God!_

I said nothing, because if I told him, he'd probably kill me before I could get back to Sasuke, but I knew if I didn't tell him, he might kill me anyway.

Before I could decide whether I should talk or not, he said something that made my face pale. "You belong to the cop." His voice was husky and firm and it wasn't a question. My heart sank. I didn't know if belonging to _the cop _was a bad thing or a good thing because his face gave nothing away.

_But how does he know that_?

"Yes," I whispered, deciding to tell him the truth, because I didn't have time to waste considering every word I should or shouldn't say. "Soushi is going to kill him and I don't have much time. I have to leave now."

Surprisingly, hazel eyes nodded. "Entiendo, Sirenita. I understand we can't let anything happen to your cop, but we're going to make a little deal first."

I growled and narrowed my eyes on his face, feeling completely indifferent to who he was or what he could do to me. "Okay, but make it quick, because I'm really tired of men fucking with my life. And what the hell does Sirenita mean, anyway?"

I should have gotten shot for speaking to a drug lord that way, but no. What did I get? I got lit up hazel eyes, perfectly straight white teeth and dimples.

_Not _the face of a bad guy.

"Mermaid, Babe. Sirenita means mermaid. For your hair."

_Well, okay then._

"You're lucky you fuckin' made it in time. Four more minutes and he'd be dead," Soushi shouted when I walked in, but I only had eyes for Sasuke, who looked pale, yet furious. He'd been moved and was now sitting in the chair with his hands behind his back instead of sitting on the floor cuffed to it.

"Baby, tell me you're okay," I whispered. His frustrated eyes were already on mine and I knew he was upset that I'd come back for him.

"I love you," I pushed, because I had to make him understand that everything was going to be okay. I could feel it deep down in the pit of my stomach.

"My heart, Freckles," he growled back, regardless of his frustration, as if me being his heart was something that would never change, no matter what happened.

My first tear escaped.

"Shut the fuck up and give me the goddamn account number!" Soushi shouted again.

"Uncuff him and let him go first, or I won't give you shit."

He put his gun to Sasuke's temple and Sasuke closed his eyes. I didn't let my fear show, but everything nerve in my system seized in terror.

"Sakura, he'll kill me anyway. Get the fuck out of here," Sasuke said, sounding tired, but I ignored him. No way was I leaving.

"Give me the number and I'll let him go," Soushi countered.

"Soushi, I don't think you understand me. Uncuff Sasuke or I won't give you shit, and if you're not going to, kill me now and get it over with!" I shouted in return.

The pussy.

"Sakura," Sasuke warned through a groan.

Soushi narrowed his eyes and studied my face as if there was a chance in hell I might actually change my mind. Then, clearly seeing the seriousness in my eyes, he dropped the gun to his side and I considered making my move, but Sasuke wasn't free yet.

I'd never risk him.

Soushi bent—never letting go of his gun—I heard the click of the lock and Sasuke did exactly what he wasn't supposed to do. I wouldn't have even thought he'd be able to move through his injury, but I'd underestimated his strength.

"Sasuke, no!" I screamed when he lunged and used his good arm to swing and knock the gun out of Soushi's hand.

"Get out of here, Sakura!" Sasuke ordered on a shout, trying to be the hero I already knew he was, but this wasn't supposed to happen, this hadn't been the plan. But Sasuke had changed the game and I couldn't just stand there doing nothing even though, not surprisingly, gunshot wound and all, Sasuke was kicking Soushi's ass.

Until Soushi—the disgrace to all men in the universe that he was—pulled a knife from the front pocket of his jeans.

"Sasuke, move!" I shouted in a tone filled with so much alarm I didn't even recognize my own voice. Sasuke heard it and lifted as much as he could, but his wound debilitated him while he still tried to fight off Soushi, but it wasn't enough.

My hands were shaking, my arms were shaking, but I walked closer and didn't even think. I just reacted. And like Sasuke had taught me six years ago, I gripped the gun tight in my hands, aimed at Soushi's head and pulled the fucking trigger.

But I missed and hit Soushi in the shoulder, only not before he stabbed Sasuke in his side.

"No!" I screamed when Sasuke fell to the floor and Soushi shuffled out from underneath him. I was shaking so bad that I knew I couldn't shoot again.

"You fucking bitch," Soushi hollered in pain, reached for his gun, aimed it at me, but he wasn't fast enough.

The next gun shot came from my right and this one didn't miss.

Hazel eyes shot Soushi straight between the eyes and I watched it all happen in slow motion, but it didn't even phase me.

I dropped the gun Alfredo had given me earlier, ran to Sasuke, but stopped dead in the middle of the kitchen when Hazel eyes shouted, "Stay where you are, Sakura!"

_He knew my name._

My eyes flew to him and I watched as he walked directly to Sasuke, bent at the knees, gripped him under the arms and dragged him as far away from Soushi as possible. I could have kissed him, because it wasn't until then that I saw all the blood. I covered my mouth with my hand and swallowed hard.

Hazel eyes set Sasuke down and I ran, fell to my knees by his side, touched his chest and his shoulders, before I picked up his hand and clenched it tightly in mine.

His entire face contorted in pure misery.

"Sasuke, I'm here. Can you hear me? I'm right here."

But it was Hazel eyes I heard speak, "I kept my word, Sirenita. Now you keep yours. You never saw me…Ambulance is almost here."

_He called the ambulance?_

By the time I twisted to look at him, all I got was his retreating back.

I turned back to Sasuke, snatched a kitchen towel off the counter and placed it over Sasuke's stab wound on his side.

He groaned and blood seeped through the towel to my fingers, but I didn't look for fear I'd faint.

"Sasuke, you with me?" I rushed and when he wouldn't open his eyes I screamed, "Answer me!"

"_Jesus, Baby, fuck! Stop screaming," _he hissed through his teeth, but he finally opened his eyes and they locked with mine.

I smiled through my tears, kept one hand over his wound and wiped the sweat off his clammy forehead with the other. I knew he was in pain, but I couldn't stop myself from kissing his lips.

"I love you," I cried and my lips quivered. "I love you so damn much, Sasuke. Do not die on me. I _need _you."

I vaguely heard sirens in the background.

His eyes closed again, as if it was too difficult to keep them open, but he still managed to whisper, "My heart, Freckles. I fuckin' love you."

And then his body relaxed and I ordered, "Sasuke, don't leave me."

When his breathing slowed and I cried, "Sasuke, please."

When his hand released mine, I knew I lost him.

"No," I whispered through my tears.

I heard footsteps from somewhere in the house, and then I was being lifted from Sasuke's body. I glanced down at all the blood covering the floor… my hands…

And then everything went black.

**One week later**

**Sakura Uchiha**

"Mrs. Uchiha, are you sure you don't know where the weapon came from?" Officer Shiina asked for the tenth time this week and I wanted to slap him across his self-righteous face.

"No, I told you. I have no idea." My voice was dead.

"So, you're telling me you have no idea that Alfredo "Freddy" Lopez was involved in the murder of Soushi Makajima?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you." Again, dead.

"Freddy Lopez is Ex-DEA turned drug lord of the Unidad Cartel. The man Soushi owed money to. The uncle of Tou Aihara, the man you and Sasuke spent time with last weekend. But you're telling me you don't know if you saw Freddy Lopez, or if he was involved in the murder of Soushi?"

"You've asked me the same question several times before and my answer hasn't changed. No, I don't know."

"Sakura, we're not after you or Sasuke. Soushi was shot in self-defense—Sasuke's wounds are proof of that. But I need to know if Alfredo was involved in any way. The bullet from Soushi's shoulder wound matched the gun found at the scene—registered to Joaquin Sevilla, Alfredo's right hand man who was also found dead in a warehouse two days after Soushi, but according to forensics, Joaquin died hours before Soushi. The bullet retrieved from Soushi's skull didn't match the same weapon."

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, opened my eyes and spoke through my exhale, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. If you want to know if Freddy was there when Soushi was shot, you'll have to find a way to ask him yourself."

I stood. "I came down to be polite and answer your questions, but if you're just going to repeat them, I'd much rather go home and listen to my husband repeat over and over how much pain he's in. After what I've been through with Sasuke, that's all I want to do…be with him and hear his voice. May I go now?"

Officer Shiina didn't look happy, but he could go fuck himself. I had a hurt husband I needed to get back to, before Rina or Renshiro decided to kill him. Then all the healing he'd done in the hospital would have been for nothing.

"Fine," Officer Shiina said grudgingly. "Go, but if you know any information at all, please reconsider talking to me."

I nodded once, even though there was no way in hell I would snitch on the man who saved Sasuke's life.

Hazel eyes.

An anxious Sai and Sasori stood the moment they saw me step foot out of the elevator. They'd been waiting down in the lobby while I'd been on the third floor talking to Investigator Shiina.

It just so happened that they'd been visiting me and Sasuke when Investigator Shiina called and asked me to come into the station for a quick chat. I'd planned to come into the station alone, but Sai and Sasori had insisted on bringing me. Sasuke had just taken his pain medication and fallen asleep, so it'd been perfect timing for me to sneak out of the house.

He hadn't given me one opportunity to leave his side all week.

"Sakura, Sweetie, is everything okay?" Sai asked as soon as I made it to him.

I nodded, and as I got closer, he tugged me to his chest for a bear hug. I felt Sasori at my back and then a second later, I felt him kiss the top of my head.

I relaxed and took a deep, calming breath. I was tired and really wanted to go home.

"I'm fine, guys. Promise. I just want to go home…or back to Rina and Renshiro's," I corrected myself, because, since the shooting, we'd been staying with Rina and Renshiro. I couldn't bear to go back to the house Sasuke called "ours" and Sasuke showed no interest in going back either. It held way too many bad memories.

Sai's arms loosened around my back when he said, "We'll get you home now, Sweetie. God forbid Sasuke wakes up only to find you gone."

At that, I sighed, pulled away from Sai and glanced back and forth between him and Sasori. "Thank you both for bringing me here."

"Sakura, you know we'd never let you go through anything alone. No matter what it is," Sasori said softly, confirming that he was one of the sweetest men on the face of the planet.

I gave him a lazy, but genuine smile.

They really were the best friends a girl could have.

"I love you both," I whispered, trying hard not to tear up.

Sai's arm tightened around my back once more before he said, "Sweetie, we love you bunches."

I knew something was wrong the moment Rina opened the front door and I caught angry, narrowed eyes.

"What's wrong?" I rushed as I pushed inside the house. "Is Sasuke okay?" What the hell could have happened in the hour I was gone?

"Oh, just wait. You'll see," she muttered darkly at my back as I walked further into the house.

A second later, I froze.

"Why the fuck did you let her leave?" I heard Sasuke roar from the kitchen.

_Oh no…_

"He woke up about ten minutes ago. You weren't in the room, so he came out to look for you. I told him where you went and he's been pissy ever since," Rina confirmed my fear.

From the moment Sasuke had awoken in the hospital after being shot, he'd demanded to see me and wouldn't let me leave his side. If the doctors made me step out of the room for any reason, he'd become anxious and agitated.

I knew it was only because everything that had happened with Soushi was so fresh, but I was a little worried.

I took off as fast as I could, ran into the kitchen, and the first thing I saw were two grown ass men bowed up to each other, chest to chest.

At my entry, Renshiro's eyes veered from Sasuke's and hit mine.

Sasuke turned and faced me too.

He looked pale, but still in a rage. He didn't have a shirt on, his right arm was in a sling and his right side was covered with a bandage where his stab wound was stitched. He'd been home from the hospital for a day and a half. He shouldn't even be up.

"Sakura, get him the hell out of here and back to his room, before I put him back in the fuckin' hospital myself," Renshiro warned, rounded Sasuke's body, walked past me, and out of the kitchen.

"Sasuke, what are you doing—" I started to ask, but snapped my mouth shut when he moved and headed straight to me.

He stopped right in front of me and dropped his forehead to mine.

His hand lifted to my face and I sucked in a sharp breath when he whispered, "Don't leave me again, Baby. I don't care where you go, don't leave me. Not right now. I didn't protect you right from Soushi, but I won't ever let my guard down when it comes to you again. But I'm hurt, and I can't protect you right now."

_Oh my god!_

My stomach was doing crazy backflips as I pulled back a little and covered Sasuke's hand on my cheek with my own. Sasuke's eyes opened and collided with mine.

"Sasuke, listen to me. You nearly died trying to protect me. You were shot and stabbed trying to buy me time to run away, but I wouldn't leave you. I'll never leave you."

His eyes squeezed so tight I could feel just how much he was hurting.

"Six years, Sakura. Six years were taken from us. I had you back for a week, and in one day, I almost lost you forever." His voice was gravely and tortured.

"No, no, no, no, no…don't do this. Everything's okay now. I'm here, you're here, and we're together. I won't ever leave you, and I'll never let you leave me," I vowed.

"Promise me, Baby."

"Sasuke, I swear."

In an instant, I felt his body relax into mine and the vibe in the room diminished.

"Come on…let's get you back to bed. You've only been out of the hospital for one day. You shouldn't be up yet and you definitely shouldn't be starting fights with your brother." When Sasuke looked like he was about to protest, I added, "Please. For me. I'll lay with you."

He inhaled deeply and agreed with a nod.

He wrapped his good arm around my shoulders and I wrapped an arm around his waist, being careful of his side.

"You sort out his shit, or do I need to kick his dumb ass?" Renshiro asked when he caught sight of us walking through the living room.

I couldn't help but smile, because even though his words held bitterness, his tone held no seriousness.

"Shut up, asshole. She's back," Sasuke growled, like that was the answer to everything. I rolled my eyes, and surprisingly, Renshiro didn't respond.

We walked down the hall and into the bedroom Sasuke and I had been using. I got him in bed, crawled in next to him, on his good side, and rested my head on his chest. We lay that way for a long time without speaking, enjoying the comfortable silence.

Sasuke eventually broke the silence.

"We might have wasted six years apart, but we'll make up for it in the next six. Then we'll keep making up for it until the day one of us leaves this earth, because that's the only way I'll allow us to be apart again. Deal?"

I smiled against his chest.

My sweet, arrogant jerk.

"Deal. I love you, Sasuke."

"You're my fuckin' heart, Sakura."

**Thank you for reading! Happy Holidays! Don't forget to review!**

**Laters :}**


	33. Chapter 33

***sigh* Aaaaand we have reached the last chapter of our story folks. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

**I do not own This Can't Be Happening series or any of its characters and contents. **

**Epilogue**

**Six Years, Six Months Later**

**Sasuke Uchiha**

Thirty-Seven Years Old

It was November.

The third cool front of the year had just pushed through.

That meant today was gonna be a great fuckin' day and perfect weather to have Yesha's birthday party outside.

_Nine. Years. Old._

Damn, was my niece really nine years old already?

To think my brother Renshiro's middle daughter was already nine years old, was a little hard to believe. That meant my oldest niece, Nina, was fourteen years old and my littlest niece, Yuuki, was six.

_Damn._

Time fuckin' flies.

But I guess that's what happens when that time is filled with love, laughter, fun and family, because between my brother's girls, my kids, and Ann's son, our spare time was constantly occupied with dance recitals, soccer games, holiday school programs, birthday parties, school dances, homework and…well, the list goes on and on.

Therefore, because our days were occupied by our jobs, and our evenings were occupied so fully by our kids, any little free time the adults had alone became that much more precious. And for me, one of those precious times was right now—early in the morning, before the kids were awake, with my wife wrapped around me like a soft blanket.

As usual, somewhere in the middle of the night we'd changed positions. I'd started the night out with my chest pressed against Sakura's back, my arm draped around her waist, fingers pressed into her stomach, legs tangled with hers and my face shoved in her neck.

Now, I was flat on my back, Sakura was on her side; my arm was under her neck, and my hand was at her shoulder where my fingers drew circles. Her arm was wrapped around my stomach, her leg thrown over my hip, while the top of her head was under my chin and her cheek was resting on my chest—right over the tattoo that read:

コイ サクラ.

In English: My Sakura

Funny how tattoos had never really been my thing, but after being shot and stabbed, I'd ended up with five. Truthfully, they still weren't my thing, but every single one of them had a meaning behind the artwork, and it all started with the large tribal piece that covered the entirety of my right shoulder blade—specifically gotten to cover the scar from my gunshot wound. It crawled up and over my right shoulder, down my chest, and ended just above my Sakura tattoo, and then it ran down my right arm and ended above my elbow.

I had figured if I was gonna get a tattoo, I might as well go all out and make it fuckin' massive.

Sakura loved them though, so that was all that mattered.

I hadn't wanted any reminders of that gunshot wound, but more importantly, I hadn't wanted Sakura to have any reminders. And not only had that scar reminded us both of the night I'd been shot, but it also reminded us both of the goddamn pain and suffering I'd gone through when that bullet fractured and lodged itself in my right shoulder blade.

Actually, Sakura—my poor baby—probably would have preferred a bullet lodged in _both_ her shoulder blades rather than put up with all the whiny bullshit I'd given her for nearly two months while I'd been healing. She'd definitely suffered way more than I had and she deserved a medal.

Well, I had bought her another 1968 Chevy Camaro to make up for it—this one red with black racing stripes—but with the kids, it was rare that she ever got to take it out for a drive. I'd looked into buying her the 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda she'd spoken of on numerous occasions, but it seemed she failed to mention they were like the Holy Grail of muscle cars. I hadn't been able to find one for less than two million dollars.

_She was outta her damn mind._

"Baby, I know you're awake," I rumbled low, because I'd just felt Sakura's breathe on my chest when she exhaled long and deep.

Her arm around my stomach tightened and I heard a muffled, "Mmmm hmmm…"

I smiled, my arm tightened around her shoulder and I ordered, "Baby, kiss."

This got her to smile against my chest, only moments before she lifted her head. She leaned down, kissed my chest over her name tattooed there, and then lifted her mouth to mine for a soft, sweet kiss.

But I didn't want sweet.

I rolled, and she let out a small squeal. Then I took her to her back knowing we didn't have much time. After six and a half years and three kids, I still wanted my wife just as much—if not more—than the first night I saw her.

"Toothpaste," she mumbled.

"Later," I decided.

I quickly rid her of her pajama shorts and the huge t-shirt she was wearing—my t-shirt.

I looked down at the sight before my eyes and watched as my hands caressed her stomach, her hips and up to her breasts. I was careful not to trace the tiny, barely visible stretch marks she had that were left over from the pregnancies because I knew she was insecure about them, but _fuck _if my gut didn't clench at the sight.

_My _kids had done that to her. My happy, healthy, amazing, gorgeous kids had done that to her body.

And her body was fuckin' perfect.

"Baby, the door's open," she whispered like I cared.

I spread her legs, freed myself from my boxer-briefs, reached between her thighs and was inside her the next second. Her neck arched, her heels pressed into my ass and she breathed, "Yes."

"Monitor's on, but we don't have much time so you better come fast," I warned deeply.

"Okay," she agreed.

And twenty minutes later, she did.

I slid in and out, pumping faster each time, over and over again. She gripped my biceps, wrapped her legs all the way around my back and bit down on my shoulder as she came. Of course, feeling her clench around me in every which way, hearing her soft moans and whimpers, and feeling her body beneath my hands as she came apart, meant that I came apart right along with her.

We'd both just come hard and I knew that meant Sakura would be in a pliable mood, so I decided it was time for "The talk".

I wasn't sure if she was ready yet, but I sure as shit was.

See, Sasha, my pinkheaded baby girl, my youngest of three, my fifth tattoo, was about to turn two years old. She was starting to talk a lot, she was walking and eating on her own, and had been for a while, which was exactly why I was ready for another baby in the house.

All my kids' names were tattooed on my right side and they all wrapped horizontally around my ribs. The first started at the bottom to cover the scar from my stab wound, and the rest went in order by age directly above it.

And I was ready for another tattoo.

I watched as the light flicked off in the bathroom and then Sakura walked out, which meant my nerves kicked in. She walked to the bed, climbed back into it and as soon as I felt her heat, I tucked her into my side.

We wrapped around each other and she rested her head on my chest. We stayed like that for a moment and I waited until I knew she was completely relaxed. Then, I decided it was now or never.

"Baby, we need to talk about your pills," I informed her.

Sakura's hand tracing the tattoo on my chest froze.

"What about them?" she asked, her words sounding cautious. I squeezed her shoulder and quickly wondered if she'd changed her mind about having one more baby, but I hoped not. I was thirty-seven years old so it was time to start working on the last, and if she told me now that she didn't want more, I'd be devastated. I'd respect her decision since it was her body that did all the work, but I'd still be devastated.

"I was thinking it might be a good time for you to stop taking them," I finished.

Sakura quickly rose, lifted on her elbow, peered down at my face and locked her amazing, dark green eyes with mine. Her eyebrows were lifted to her hairline.

"You mean you're actually talking to me about this instead of just throwing my pills away?" She sounded stunned.

I decided to think before answering—surprising, I know—but I wasn't sure if talking to her about this was a good thing or not. Maybe I should have just thrown them out?

"Well, it was more of a heads-up," I replied.

Her eyes narrowed. "A heads up that you're about to start tossing them down the drain?"

"Yep." I figured I might as well answer honestly, even though I couldn't get a read on her mood. I didn't know if she was open to the idea of trying for another baby or not.

Then, to my complete and utter fuckin' shock, she grinned.

"Sasuke, I'm pregnant," she said through her smile.

I grew still. Surely, I hadn't heard her right.

"What did you just say?"

Her grin grew massive as she half shrugged.

"I stopped taking my birth control three months ago. I'm pregnant."

I narrowed my eyes on hers and if I wasn't mistaken, she was laughing on the inside. I could feel her chest vibrating.

_My little pinkheaded terrorist_.

"You weren't gonna tell me you stopped taking them?"

"Payback, Baby," she confirmed, still smiling, and at that smile, my entire body filled with adoration…no, worship. I worshiped my wife. I reached around her head, tangled my fingers in her wild, wavy hair and brought her face down to mine.

"My heart, Freckles. I fuckin' love you," I mumbled against her lips.

Her smile softened to barely there, but her eyes were full of the same worship as mine when she whispered, "My heart, Sasuke. I fuckin' love you, too."

We kissed, both smiling, and a moment later, Sakura lifted when we heard the stomping of little feet running down the hall.

"Momma!" I heard Kyouya, my five-year-old son, the oldest twin, my third tattoo, shout just as he barreled into the room. "I told Touya there was gonna be a buncha girls here today for Yesha's party and he said 'bitches be crazy'!"

I groaned and muttered, "Oh shit" just as I heard Sakura's loud gasp.

I slammed my eyes shut.

I felt him climb into bed and snuggle up to Sakura who I could still feel was stiff as a board.

"Nuh uh! I did not say that!" Touya, my other five-year-old son, the youngest-by-a-minute twin, my fourth tattoo, shouted in denial just as he climbed into bed behind Kyouya. Only he snuggled up to me—possibly for protection.

I opened my eyes to take a quick peek at Sakura, but all I saw was red—as in her face of fury red.

I gave her an innocent, yet apologetic smile and silently thanked God that Sakura was already pregnant because I had a pretty good feeling she was going to cut off my balls after this.

"Love you," I told her.

"Oh, be quiet, Sasuke," she countered.

I sighed. Her "Be quiets" really meant "Shut the fuck up" when the kids were present.

"Baby, you wanna tell me again why Yesha's having her party here? And why aren't Rina and Renshiro here doing this shit instead of us?" I asked just as I stepped off the ladder I'd been using to hang the last of the Happy Birthday banners and decorations. Our house—straight up—looked like a Zebra vomited black and pink. Not that I minded doing anything for my nieces, but hell, their parents had a big enough house for a party.

"Oh, uhhhh..." I heard her voice, but it wasn't close. "Yesha wanted to show her girlfriends the goats, so she decided on a petting zoo theme since it's too cold to have a pool party. I don't know. I think Rina rented some animal entertainment lady to come out with ponies and rabbits and other animals for them to pet. Plus, Nina had a soccer game this morning so I volunteered us to decorate since I knew they wouldn't make it here in time."

Well, there you go. That was exactly what I meant about all of us being busy. It was nonstop, but I wasn't complaining.

Okay, well I had been complaining, but all of us being a family...or more appropriately, giving Sakura the big family she'd always wanted, made it all worth it.

It also reminded me just how much I loved my house. As in, I fuckin' _loved it._

Subsequent to my release from the hospital after being shot and stabbed, Sakura and I had moved in straightaway with Rina and Renshiro for a few months until we were able to sell our old, two-story, Victorian-style house. The old house had been more than nice, and would have been perfect for us to raise our family in, but after everything that had went down inside of it, we'd needed a fresh start.

Now we lived in a single-story, three thousand square foot, ranch-style house that sat on approximately three acres. I hadn't been sold on the house at first because for some reason, I'd wanted another two-story house, but I'd left the decision up to my wife, and this was the house she'd chosen.

And I gotta say, my wife had impeccable taste in houses.

She had also made a damn good point when she'd informed me, "Sasuke, I'm not seventy-five years old yet, but speaking for my seventy-five year old self, I refuse to climb stairs to clean rooms on a floor that nobody's going to be living on anyway. So we're not getting another two-story unless you plan on cleaning it yourself, and when I'm seventy-five, you'll be eighty. Think about that."

Again, there you go. That had been the end of the house subject.

But after moving into our badass house four months after selling the old one, I'd then brought up another subject that had been nagging me just as much as the pain in my shoulder.

"Baby, you gonna let me give you a real wedding, or what?" I'd asked.

Her eyes had hit mine and she'd answered waspishly, "Or what."

I'd frowned and considered her words before asking, "You gonna elaborate on that?"

She'd shrugged and replied, "Baby, we're already married. We got married in front of your mother the first time so that's all that matters to me—" I'd opened my mouth to retort, but she'd held up a hand to stop me. "No. No wedding. And before you ask, I don't want another ring. I love the original. You bought it for me when it was all you could afford and...I don't know, it just means the world to me that you kept it after all this time. If you get me another ring, I won't wear it."

And there you go...a-fuckin-gain. That had been the end of the marriage subject…but _not _the ring subject because _that_, I'd absolutely refused to let her win. However, I had compromised, and instead of buying her a new wedding ring, I had bought her an engagement ring. A two carat, solitary, round cut diamond set in platinum that she wore and never took off.

I walked away from the ladder and headed into the kitchen where Sakura's voice had been coming from. When I walked in, I saw her standing at the counter, still in my huge t-shirt, pajama shorts and barefoot. She had no makeup on and her hair was in a tangled mess on the top of her head. Kyouya and Touya sat at the table while Sasha sat in her high chair; all were stuffing their faces with food.

Sakura looked up the moment she heard me walk in and she smiled. My gut clenched. I walked straight to her, came up behind her back and wrapped my arms around her stomach, fingers pressed in. I bent and kissed her neck. Then I reached for her left hand, picked it up and placed a kiss over her rings all while she watched me do it.

"Gross, Dad!" Kyouya called out.

"Yeah, Dad! Kissing girls is gross!" Touya seconded.

Sakura chuckled and I rolled my eyes, but spoke through my grin, "Oh yeah? Just wait until you're fifteen. I'll make sure I remind you just how gross girls are then."

I walked out the back door with two bottles of water in my hand and headed straight for my wife. She was standing beside the same table Rina, Ann and Tou were sitting at. I wondered where Renshiro was, but only for a moment because my attention was stuck on the one person wearing snug jeans, a white, sleeveless, button-down top that was tucked in, with a brown belt, brown sandals and a multi-colored scarf that hung loosely around her neck. Her hair was pulled up into a messy, yet sexy ponytail at the crown of her head, but the most beautiful accessory she carried was my baby girl, Sasha.

"Dada!" Sash shrieked happily as she tried to lunge out of her Momma's arms and into mine.

I put the drinks on the table and held out my hands. "Here, I got her. You shouldn't be carrying her right now," I scolded.

Sakura sighed. "Sasuke, it's fine. Don't start freaking out on me already. I carried the boys—sometimes both of them at the same time—while I was pregnant with Sash."

I gave her an over exaggerated gasp and she lifted one eyebrow at me.

"What in the hell is going on with you two?" Rina asked suspiciously as she looked back and forth between the two of us.

I didn't hesitate. "Sakura's pregnant."

There were gasps all around.

"Oh good God, I thought Rina and Renshiro were the baby making machines! Four?" Ann asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, four, but that's _it_," I told her.

"You know, Ann, you should really consider having another one because next thing you know, little Tou, Jr.'s going to be as old as Nina," Sakura responded.

At Sakura's reference to my oldest niece, I turned to search her out in the crowd. I think we all did.

She wasn't hard to spot either, because she was the only one throwing a football around with someone's little boy who looked to be about her age. She'd changed out of her soccer uniform and now wore jeans that were too tight, a pink top that was too tight, pink chucks and her long black hair hung halfway down her back.

I guess feeling all eyes on her back, she turned and I could see her damn bright honey-colored eyes from here when she smiled and waved at us all.

The girl was gonna be a heartbreaker.

"She just had her first kiss," my sister-in-law Rina said softly to the table and all eyes hit hers.

"She what?" I asked low and dangerous.

"Oh, calm down, Sasuke. I haven't told Ren yet, because I know he's going to be pissed. It was nothing, really. Nina said it was just a peck on the lips."

My lungs seized at the thought of some little bastard kissing my beautiful niece, but it seemed someone else had no problem breathing because his inhale was sharp and loud.

"Rinara, Baby, what the fuck did you just say?" Renshiro asked in a growl, and I watched as Rina's eyes grew round.

"Uhhh..."

"Rinara," Renshiro repeated in a cautioning tone.

"Oh, all right. It was nothing, really. She said a little boy she likes kissed her, but she knows she can't have a boyfriend until she's sixteen. And before you go beating up little Ringo over there, it wasn't him."

I snorted at the mention of Nina not dating until she was sixteen, and Sakura muttered, "Shut up, Sasuke."

Renshiro looked in the direction of his oldest daughter, his shoulders slumped and he rubbed a hand through his hair as if in misery. I felt bad for him. I really did. It would be wrong to say that Nina was his favorite daughter, because that just wasn't true, but there was a special bond between the two of them. It probably had a lot to do with Renshiro missing out on the first few years of her life, and the fact that she was a bit of a tomboy and all Renshiro had were girls, but the relationship between them was amazing to watch.

And it made me think of my own baby girl.

I looked down at her in my arms and said, "Sash, give Dada a kiss."

She leaned in and landed a big wet one right on my lips with a loud, "Muah!"

Then my eyes sought out my twin boys where they were playing with Tou Jr., a few feet away. Sai and Sasori were taking turns pushing each of the boys on the swing set, and I swear to God, had I been alone, the sight would have brought a tear to my eye.

My family.

Even that bastard Sai and his husband Sasori had become family.

I twisted my neck and my eyes found my wife's.

She was already looking at me and I knew she was feeling the same sense of fulfillment I was.

I leaned down, put my face close to hers and asked low, "You my heart, Freckles?"

Her face softened when she replied in a small whisper, "Always."

I touched her bottom lip with my thumb and bent to take her lips with a quick, deep kiss.

"Enough said, Baby."

**The End.**

**For those who didn't get as to why Sasuke said "It's done." in the previous chapter, he meant Soushi being dead, because he talked to Freddy (also known as hazel eyes/ the drug lord whom Soushi owes big money to), to capture him and kill him. Please watch out for my next fic Love Spell :) ...Thank you for reading and faving and following and reviewing!**

**Laters! :}**


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